Movable body apparatus, exposure apparatus, exposure method, and device manufacturing method

ABSTRACT

In an exposure station, positional information of a holding member that holds a wafer is measured by a first measurement system including a measurement member, and in a measurement station positional information of the holding member that holds a wafer is measured by a second measurement system including another measurement member. An exposure apparatus has a third measurement system which can measure positional information of the holding member when the holding member is carried from the measurement station to the exposure station. A controller, coupled to the first and the second measurement systems, controls a movement of the holding member based on the positional information measured by the first measurement system in the exposure station and also controls a movement of the holding member based on the positional information measured by the second measurement system in the measurement station.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/640,636filed Dec. 17, 2009, which claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/139,104 filed Dec. 19, 2008, and U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 61/213,375 filed Jun. 2, 2009. The disclosure of each ofthe applications identified above is hereby incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to movable body apparatuses, exposureapparatuses, exposure methods, and device manufacturing methods, andmore particularly, to a movable body apparatus including a movable bodywhich can move along a plane parallel to a predetermined two-dimensionalplane, an exposure apparatus which is equipped with the movable bodyapparatus and exposes an object with an energy beam, an exposure methodperformed in the exposure apparatus, and a device manufacturing methodusing the exposure apparatus or the exposure method.

2. Description of the Background Art

Conventionally, in a lithography process for manufacturing electrondevices (microdevices) such as semiconductor devices (such as integratedcircuits) and liquid crystal display devices, exposure apparatuses suchas a projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-repeat method (aso-called stepper) and a projection exposure apparatus by astep-and-scan method (a so-called scanning stepper (which is also calleda scanner) are mainly used.

In these types of exposure apparatuses, the position of a wafer stagewhich moves two-dimensionally, holding a substrate (hereinaftergenerally referred to as a wafer) such as a wafer or a glass plate onwhich a pattern is transferred and formed, was measured using a laserinterferometer in general. However, requirements for a wafer stageposition control performance with higher precision are increasing due tofiner patterns that accompany higher integration of semiconductordevices recently, and as a consequence, short-term variation ofmeasurement values due to temperature fluctuation and/or the influenceof temperature gradient of the atmosphere on the beam path of the laserinterferometer can no longer be ignored.

To improve such an inconvenience, various inventions related to anexposure apparatus that has employed an encoder having a measurementresolution at the same level or better than a laser interferometer asthe position measuring device of the wafer stage have been proposed(refer to, e.g., PCT International Publication No. 2007/097379 (thecorresponding U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843) andthe like). However, in the liquid immersion exposure apparatus disclosedin PCT International Publication No. 2007/097379 and the like, therestill were points that should have been improved, such as a threat ofthe wafer stage (a grating installed on the wafer stage upper surface)being deformed when influenced by heat of vaporization and the like whenthe liquid evaporates.

To improve such an inconvenience, in, for example, PCT InternationalPublication No. 2008/038752 (the corresponding U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2008/0094594), as a fifth embodiment, an exposureapparatus is disclosed which is equipped with an encoder system that hasa grating arranged on the upper surface of a wafer stage configured by alight transmitting member and measures the displacement of the waferstage related to the periodic direction of the grating by making ameasurement beam from an encoder main body placed below the wafer stageenter the wafer stage and be irradiated on the grating, and by receivinga diffraction light which occurs in the grating. In this apparatus,because the grating is covered with a cover glass, the grating is immuneto the heat of vaporization, which makes it possible to measure theposition of the wafer stage with high precision.

However, depending on the type of exposure apparatus (for example, in anexposure apparatus which employs a dual stage structure as is disclosedin, U.S. Pat. No. 7,161,659), it becomes necessary to move a wafer stageinside a measurement range (e.g., an exposure position) of an encodersystem, after a predetermined processing (e.g., alignment measurement ofa wafer) has been performed on a wafer outside the measurable range ofthe encoder system. Accordingly, development of a system that canmeasure positional information of a wafer stage in a much wider rangewith high accuracy was desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda first movable body apparatus, comprising: a movable body which ismovable at least along a two-dimensional plane including a first axisand a second axis that are orthogonal to each other; a first measurementsystem which measures positional information of the movable body in adirection parallel to the first axis and a direction parallel to thesecond axis when the movable body moves within a predetermined rangewithin the two-dimensional plane, by irradiating at least one firstmeasurement beam from below on a first measurement plane substantiallyparallel to the two-dimensional plane placed on the movable body andreceiving a light from the first measurement plane of the firstmeasurement beam; a second measurement system which measures positionalinformation of the movable body at least in a direction parallel to thefirst axis outside the predetermined range of within the two-dimensionalplane; and a control system which controls a position of the movablebody, based on measurement information of at least one of the firstmeasurement system and the second measurement system.

According to this apparatus, the positional information of the movablebody moving within the predetermined range in the two-dimensional planeis measured by the first measurement system irradiating the firstmeasurement beam from below on the first measurement plane which issubstantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane placed on themovable body. Accordingly, within the predetermined range in the twodimensional plane described above, the positional information of themovable body can be measured with high precision. Further, thepositional information of the movable body at least in the directionparallel to the first axis outside the predetermined range of within thetwo-dimensional plane is measured by the second measurement system.Furthermore, the position of the movable body is controlled by thecontrol system, based on the measurement information of at least one ofthe first measurement system and the second measurement system.Accordingly, the control system can unfailingly control the position ofthe movable body in a wide range within the two-dimensional plane, basedon the measurement information of the first and/or the secondmeasurement system.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda second movable body apparatus, comprising: a first support memberwhich moves within a first range in a two dimensional plane including afirst axis and a second axis that are orthogonal to each other; a secondsupport member which moves within a second range positioned on one sideof a direction parallel to the first axis of the first range in thetwo-dimensional plane; a holding member which is placed in the vicinityof a border of the first range and the second range; a movable bodywhich is supported relatively movable at least within a plane parallelto the two-dimensional plane, by the first support member and the secondsupport member; a first measurement system which measures positionalinformation of the movable body in a direction parallel to the firstaxis and a direction parallel to the second axis, by irradiating atleast one first measurement beam from below on a first measurement planesubstantially parallel to the two-dimensional plane placed on themovable body supported by the first support member and receiving a lightfrom the first measurement plane of the first measurement beam; and asecond measurement system which measures positional information of themovable body on the holding member when the movable body is deliveredbetween the first support member and the second support member via theholding member.

According to this apparatus, the positional information of the movablebody supported by the first support member is measured by the firstmeasurement system irradiating the first measurement beam from below onthe first measurement plane which is substantially parallel to thetwo-dimensional plane placed on the movable body. Accordingly, thepositional information of the movable body supported by the firstsupport member can be measured with high precision. Further, thepositional information of the movable body on the holding member whenthe movable body is delivered between the first support member and thesecond support member via the holding member is measured by the secondmeasurement system. Accordingly, the positional information of themovable body in a wide range within the two-dimensional plane can bemeasured, based on the measurement information of the first and/or thesecond measurement system.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provideda first exposure apparatus that forms a pattern on an object by anirradiation of an energy beam, the apparatus comprising: the movablebody apparatus of one of the first and second movable body apparatusesof the present invention in which the object is mounted on the movablebody; and a patterning device which irradiates the energy beam on theobject mounted on the movable body.

According to this apparatus, because the apparatus is equipped with oneof the first and second movable body apparatuses of the presentinvention, a pattern can be formed with high accuracy on the object.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda device manufacturing method, including exposing an object using theexposure apparatus of the present invention; and developing the objectwhich has been exposed.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda second exposure apparatus that exposes an object with an energy beam,the apparatus comprising: a first support member which is movable withina first range including an exposure station where exposure of the objectby the energy beam is performed; a second support member which ismovable within a second range including a measurement station wheremeasurement of alignment information of the object is performed; amovable body which holds the object, and is movably supported by each ofthe first and second support members; a first measurement system whichmeasures positional information of the movable body supported by thefirst support member; a second measurement system which measurespositional information of the movable body supported by the secondsupport member; and a third measurement system which measures positionalinformation of the movable body when the movable body is delivered fromone of the first and second support members to the other.

According to this apparatus, positional information of the movable bodysupported by the first support member moving while holding the objectwithin the first range including the exposure station where exposure ofthe object with the energy beam is performed, is measured by the firstmeasurement system. Further, positional information of the movable bodysupported by the second support member moving while holding the objectwithin the second range including the measurement station wheremeasurement of alignment information of the object is performed, ismeasured by the second measurement system. Furthermore, positionalinformation of the movable body when the movable body is delivered fromone of the first and second support members to the other is measured bythe third measurement system. Accordingly, it becomes possible tomeasure the positional information of the movable body within a broadrange including the exposure station and the measurement station, basedon the measurement information of the first, second, and thirdmeasurement systems.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is providedan exposure method in which an object is exposed with an energy beam,the method comprising: moving a first support member supporting amovable body holding the object within a first range including anexposure station where exposure of the object by the energy beam isperformed, and measuring positional information of the movable bodysupported by the first support member using a first measurement system;moving a second support member supporting a movable body holding theobject within a second range including a measurement station wheremeasurement of alignment information of the object is performed, andmeasuring positional information of the movable body supported by thesecond support member using a second measurement system; and measuringpositional information of the movable body using a third measurementsystem when the movable body is delivered from one of the first andsecond support members to the other.

According to the method, it becomes possible to measure the positionalinformation of the movable body within a broad range including theexposure station and the measurement station, based on the measurementinformation of the first, second, and third measurement systems.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a device manufacturing method, including exposing an objectusing the exposure method of the present invention; and developing theobject which has been exposed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings;

FIG. 1 is a view that schematically shows a configuration of an exposureapparatus of an embodiment;

FIG. 2A shows a side view of a wafer stage which the exposure apparatusin FIG. 1 is equipped with when viewed from a −Y direction, and FIG. 2Bis the wafer stage shown in a planar view;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram used to explain an input/output relation of amain controller equipped in the exposure apparatus in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a planar view showing a placement of an alignment system and aprojection unit PU which the exposure apparatus in FIG. 1 is equippedwith, along with a wafer stage;

FIG. 5 is a view used to explain an auxiliary stage which the exposureapparatus in FIG. 1 is equipped with;

FIG. 6 is a view used to explain a separation structure of a coarsemovement stage;

FIG. 7 is a planar view showing a placement of a magnet unit and a coilunit that structure a fine movement stage drive system;

FIG. 8A is a side view showing a placement of a magnet unit and a coilunit that structure a fine movement stage drive system when viewed fromthe −Y direction, and FIG. 8B is a side view showing a placement of amagnet unit and a coil unit that structure a fine movement stage drivesystem when viewed from the +X direction;

FIG. 9A is a view used to explain a drive principle when a fine movementstage is driven in the Y-axis direction, FIG. 9B is a view used toexplain a drive principle when a fine movement stage is driven in theZ-axis direction, and FIG. 9C is a view used to explain a driveprinciple when a fine movement stage is driven in the X-axis direction;

FIG. 10A is a view used to explain an operation when a fine movementstage is rotated around the Z-axis with respect to a coarse movementstage, FIG. 10B is a view used to explain an operation when a finemovement stage is rotated around the Y-axis with respect to a coarsemovement stage, and FIG. 10C is a view used to explain an operation whena fine movement stage is rotated around the X-axis with respect to acoarse movement stage;

FIG. 11 is a view used to explain an operation when a center section ofthe fine movement stage is deflected in the +Z direction;

FIG. 12A is a view showing auxiliary stage AST seen from the −Ydirection, FIG. 12B is a view showing auxiliary stage AST seen from the+X direction, and 12C is a view showing auxiliary stage AST seen fromthe +Z direction;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an aligner;

FIG. 14A shows a perspective view of a tip of a measurement arm, andFIG. 14B is a view of the tip of the measurement arm when viewed fromthe +Z direction;

FIG. 15A is a view showing a rough configuration of an X head 77 x, andFIG. 15B is a view used to explain a placement of each of the X head 77x, Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb inside the measurement arm;

FIG. 16 is a view used to explain a placement of head units 98A and 98B,and four laser interferometers 76 a to 76 d;

FIG. 17 is a view used to explain a placement of a laser interferometerconfiguring fine movement stage position measurement system 70D;

FIG. 18A is a view used to explain a drive method of a wafer at the timeof scanning exposure, and FIG. 18B is a view used to explain a drivingmethod of a wafer at the time of stepping;

FIG. 19A to FIG. 19D are views used to explain a parallel processingperformed using fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 1).

FIG. 20 is a view showing a waiting position of an auxiliary stage;

FIG. 21 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a blade (No. 1);

FIG. 22 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a blade (No. 2);

FIG. 23 is a view used to explain a delivery of a liquid immersion space(liquid Lq) performed between a fine movement stage and a movable blade(No. 3);

FIG. 24A to FIG. 24F are views used to explain a parallel processingperformed using fine movement stage WFS1 and WFS2 (No. 2);

FIGS. 25A and 25B are views used to explain a movement of an auxiliarystage on a delivery of a liquid immersion space (liquid Lq) performedbetween a fine movement stage and a blade (No. 1);

FIG. 26 is a view used to explain a movement of an auxiliary stage on adelivery of a liquid immersion space (liquid Lq) performed between afine movement stage and a blade (No. 2);

FIG. 27 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 19A from above;

FIG. 28 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 19B from above;

FIG. 29 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 19C from above;

FIG. 30 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 19D from above;

FIG. 31 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 24A from above;

FIG. 32 is a view used to explain a parallel processing performed usingfine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and is a view showing the exposureapparatus in FIG. 24B from above;

FIG. 33 is planar view showing a measurement station and a waferexchange area of an exposure apparatus related to a modified example;

FIGS. 34A and 34B are views (No. 1) used to explain a processingperformed using a fine movement stage supported by coarse movement stageWCS2 in the wafer exchange area, in the exposure apparatus related tothe modified example; and

FIGS. 35A and 35B are views (No. 2) used to explain a processingperformed using a fine movement stage supported by coarse movement stageWCS2 in the wafer exchange area, in the exposure apparatus related tothe modified example.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below, withreference to FIGS. 1 to 32.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an exposure apparatus 100 inthe embodiment. Exposure apparatus 100 is a projection exposureapparatus by the step-and-scan method, or a so-called scanner. As itwill be described later, a projection optical system PL is arranged inthe embodiment, and in the description below, a direction parallel to anoptical axis AX of projection optical system PL will be described as theZ-axis direction, a direction within a plane orthogonal to the Z-axisdirection in which a reticle and a wafer are relatively scanned will bedescribed as the Y-axis direction, a direction orthogonal to the Z-axisand the Y-axis will be described as the X-axis direction, and rotational(inclination) directions around the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axiswill be described as θx, θy, and θz directions, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 1, exposure apparatus 100 is equipped with an exposurestation 200 placed close to the end on the −Y side of a base board 12, ameasurement station 300 placed close to the end on the +Y side of baseboard 12, two wafer stages WST1 and WST2, a relay stage DRST, and acontrol system and the like for these parts. Now, base board 12 issupported on the floor surface almost horizontally (parallel to the XYplane) by a vibration isolation mechanism (omitted in drawings). Baseboard 12 is made of a member having a tabular form, and the degree offlatness of the upper surface is extremely high and serves as a guidesurface when the three stages WST1, WST2, and DRST described above move.Incidentally, in FIG. 1, wafer stage WST1 is located at exposure station200, and wafer W is held on wafer stage WST1 (to be more specific, finemovement stage WFS1). Further, wafer stage WST2 is located atmeasurement station 300, and another wafer W is held on wafer stage WST2(to be more specific, fine movement stage WFS2).

Exposure station 200 comprises an illumination system 10, a reticlestage RST, a projection unit PU, a local liquid immersion device 8 andthe like.

Illumination system 10 includes a light source, an illuminanceuniformity optical system, which includes an optical integrator and thelike, and an illumination optical system that has a reticle blind andthe like (none of which are shown), as is disclosed in, for example,U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0025890 and the like.Illumination system 10 illuminates a slit-shaped illumination area IARwhich is set on a reticle R with a reticle blind (also referred to as amasking system) by illumination light (exposure light) IL with asubstantially uniform illuminance. In this case, as illumination lightIL, for example, an ArF excimer laser beam (wavelength 193 nm) is used.

On reticle stage RST, reticle R on which a circuit pattern or the likeis formed on its pattern surface (the lower surface in FIG. 1) is fixed,for example, by vacuum chucking. Reticle stage RST is finely drivablewithin an XY plane, for example, by a reticle stage drive section 11(not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3) that includes a linear motor orthe like, and reticle stage RST is also drivable in a scanning direction(in this case, the Y-axis direction, which is the lateral direction ofthe page surface in FIG. 1) at a predetermined scanning speed.

The positional information (including rotation information in the θzdirection) of reticle stage RST in the XY plane is constantly detected,for example, at a resolution of around 0.25 nm by a reticle laserinterferometer (hereinafter referred to as a “reticle interferometer”)13, via a movable mirror 15 (the mirrors actually arranged are a Ymovable mirror (or a retro reflector) that has a reflection surfacewhich is orthogonal to the Y-axis direction and an X movable mirror thathas a reflection surface orthogonal to the X-axis direction) fixed onreticle stage RST. The measurement values of reticle interferometer 13are sent to a main controller 20 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3).Incidentally, positional information of reticle stage RST can bemeasured by an encoder system as is disclosed in, for example, U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0288121 and the like.

Projection unit PU is placed below reticle stage RST in FIG. 1.Projection unit PU is supported via flange portion FLG provided in theouter periphery of the projection unit, by a main frame (also called ametrology frame) BD supported horizontally by a support member (notshown). Projection unit PU includes a barrel 40, and projection opticalsystem PL held within barrel 40. As projection optical system PL, forexample, a dioptric system is used, consisting of a plurality of lenses(lens elements) that is disposed along optical axis AX, which isparallel to the Z-axis direction. Projection optical system PL is, forexample, a both-side telecentric dioptric system that has apredetermined projection magnification (such as one-quarter, one-fifth,or one-eighth times). Therefore, when illumination system 10 illuminatesillumination area IAR on reticle R with illumination area IL, byillumination light IL which has passed through reticle R placed so thatits pattern surface substantially coincides with a first surface (objectsurface) of projection optical system PL, a reduced image of the circuitpattern of reticle R within illumination area IAR via projection opticalsystem PL (projection unit PU) is formed on a wafer W whose surface iscoated with a resist (a sensitive agent) and is placed on a secondsurface (image plane surface) side of projection optical system PL, onan area (hereinafter also referred to as an exposure area) IA conjugatewith illumination area IAR. And by reticle stage RST and fine movementstage WFS1 (or fine movement stage WFS2) being synchronously driven,reticle R is relatively moved in the scanning direction (the Y-axisdirection) with respect to illumination area IAR (illumination light IL)while wafer W is relatively moved in the scanning direction (the Y-axisdirection) with respect to exposure area IA (illumination light IL),thus scanning exposure of a shot area (divided area) on wafer W isperformed, and the pattern of reticle R is transferred onto the shotarea. That is, in the embodiment, the pattern of reticle R is generatedon wafer W according to illumination system 10 and projection opticalsystem PL, and then by the exposure of the sensitive layer (resistlayer) on wafer W with illumination light IL, the pattern is formed onwafer W. In the embodiment, main frame BD is supported almosthorizontally by a plurality of (e.g. three or four) support memberswhich are each placed on an installation surface (floor surface) via avibration isolation mechanism. Incidentally, the vibration isolationmechanism can be placed between each of the support members and mainframe BD. Further, as is disclosed in, for example, PCT InternationalPublication No. 2006/038952, main frame BD (projection unit PU) can besupported by suspension with respect to a main frame member or to areticle base (not shown), placed above projection unit PU.

Local liquid immersion device 8 is provided corresponding to the pointthat exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment performs exposure by aliquid immersion method. Local liquid immersion device 8 includes aliquid supply device 5, a liquid recovery device 6 (both of which arenot shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3), a nozzle unit 32 and the like. Asshown in FIG. 1, nozzle unit 32 is supported in a suspended state bymain frame BD supporting projection unit PU and the like via a supportmember (not shown) so that the periphery of the lower end portion ofbarrel 40 that holds an optical element closest to the image plane side(the wafer W side) constituting projection optical system PL, in thiscase, a lens (hereinafter also referred to as a “tip lens”) 191, isenclosed. Nozzle unit 32 is equipped with a supply opening and arecovery opening of a liquid Lq, a lower surface to which wafer W isplaced facing and at which the recovery opening is arranged, and asupply flow channel and a recovery flow channel that are connected to aliquid supply pipe 31A and a liquid recovery pipe 31B (both of which arenot shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 4), respectively. One end of a supplypipe (not shown) is connected to liquid supply pipe 31A while the otherend of the supply pipe is connected to a liquid supply unit 5 (not shownin FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3), and one end of a recovery pipe (not shown)is connected to liquid recovery pipe 31B while the other end of therecovery pipe is connected to a liquid recovery device 6 (not shown inFIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3). In the embodiment, main controller 20 controlsliquid supply device 5 (refer to FIG. 3), and supplies liquid betweentip lens 191 and wafer W via liquid supply pipe 31A and nozzle unit 32,as well as control liquid recovery device 6 (refer to FIG. 3), andrecovers liquid from between tip lens 191 and wafer W via nozzle unit 32and liquid recovery pipe 31B. During the operations, main controller 20controls liquid supply device 5 and liquid recovery device 6 so that thequantity of liquid supplied constantly equals the quantity of liquidwhich has been recovered. Accordingly, a constant quantity of liquid Lq(refer to FIG. 1) is held constantly replaced in the space between tiplens 191 and wafer W. In the embodiment, as the liquid above, pure waterthat transmits the ArF excimer laser beam (light with a wavelength of193 nm) is to be used. Incidentally, refractive index n of the waterwith respect to the ArF excimer laser beam is around 1.44, and in thepure water, the wavelength of illumination light IL is 193 nm×1/n,shorted to around 134 nm.

Besides this, in exposure station 200, a fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A is provided, including a measurement arm 71Asupported almost in a cantilevered state (supported in the vicinity ofone end) by main frame BD via a support member 72A. However, finemovement stage position measurement system 70A will be described afterdescribing the fine movement stage, which will be described later, forconvenience of the explanation.

In measurement station 300, an alignment device 99 provided in mainframe BD, and a fine movement stage position measurement system 70B,which has a symmetric but a similar configuration with fine movementstage position measurement system 70A previously described, including ameasurement arm 71B supported in a cantilevered state (supported in thevicinity of one end) by main frame BD via a support member 72B, areprovided.

Aligner 99, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2008/0088843 and the like, includes five alignmentsystems AL1, and AL2₁ to AL2₄, shown in FIG. 4. To be more specific, asshown in FIG. 4, a primary alignment system AL1 is placed on a straightline (hereinafter, referred to as a reference axis) LV, which passesthrough the center of projection unit PU (optical axis AX of projectionoptical system PL, which also coincides with the center of exposure areaIA previously described in the embodiment) and is also parallel to theY-axis, in a state where the detection center is located at a positionthat is spaced apart from optical axis AX at a predetermined distance onthe −Y side. On one side and the other side in the X-axis direction withprimary alignment system AL1 in between, secondary alignment systemsAL2₁ and AL2₂, and AL2₃ and AL2₄ whose detection centers aresubstantially symmetrically placed with respect to a reference axis LVare severally arranged. That is, five alignment systems AL1 and AL2₁ toAL2₄ are placed so that their detection centers are placed along theX-axis direction. Incidentally, in FIG. 1, the five alignment systemsAL1 and AL2₁ to AL2₄ are shown as an aligner 99, including the holdingapparatus (sliders) which hold these systems. Incidentally, a concreteconfiguration and the like of aligner 99 will be described furthermorelater on.

As it can be seen from FIGS. 1, 2A and the like, wafer stage WST1 has awafer coarse movement stage WCS1, which is supported by levitation abovebase board 12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings, such as, forexample, air bearings 94 provided on its bottom surface and is driven inthe XY two-dimensional direction by a coarse movement stage drive system51A (refer to FIG. 3), and a wafer fine movement stage WFS1, which issupported in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS1 and isrelatively movable with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1. Finemovement stage WFS1 is driven by a fine movement stage drive system 52A(refer to FIG. 3) with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1 in theX-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, the Z-axis direction, the Oxdirection, the θy direction, and the θz direction (hereinafter expressedas directions of six degrees of freedom, or directions of six degrees offreedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, θz)).

Similar to wafer stage WST1, wafer stage WST2 has a wafer coarsemovement stage WCS2, which is supported by levitation above base board12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings (e.g., air bearings (omittedin drawings)) provided on its bottom surface and is driven in the XYtwo-dimensional direction by a coarse movement stage drive system 51B(refer to FIG. 3), and a wafer fine movement stage WFS2, which issupported in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS2 and isrelatively movable with respect to coarse movement stage WCS2. Finemovement stage WFS2 is driven by a fine movement stage drive system 52B(refer to FIG. 3) with respect to coarse movement stage WCS2 indirections of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, θz).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of wafer stage WST1 (coarse movement stageWCS1) is measured by a wafer stage position measurement system 16A.Further, positional information in directions of six degrees of freedom(X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz) of fine movement stage WFS1 (or fine movementstage WFS2 which will be described later on) supported by coarsemovement stage WCS1 in exposure station 200 is measured by fine movementstage position measurement system 70A (refer to FIG. 3).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of wafer stage WST2 (coarse movement stageWCS2) is measured by a wafer stage position measurement system 16B(refer to FIG. 3). Further, positional information in directions of sixdegrees of freedom of fine movement stage WFS2 (or fine movement stageWFS1) supported by coarse movement stage WCS2 in measurement station 300is measured by fine movement stage position measurement system 70B(refer to FIG. 3).

Further, outside exposure station 200 and measurement station 300, ormore specifically, outside the measurement range of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A and fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B, positional information of fine movement stagesWFS1 and WFS2 is measured by a fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70C (refer to FIG. 3). Measurement results (measurementinformation) of wafer stage position measurement systems 16A and 16B,and fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A, 70B, and 70Care supplied to main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 3) for positioncontrol of coarse movement stage WCS1, fine movement stage WFS1, coarsemovement stage WCS2, and fine movement stage WFS2.

Like coarse movement stage WCS1 and WCS2, relay stage DRST is supportedby levitation above base board 12 by a plurality of non-contact bearings(e.g., air bearings (omitted in drawings)) provided on its bottomsurface, and is driven in the XY two-dimensional direction by a relaystage drive system 53 (refer to FIG. 3).

Positional information (also including rotation information in the θzdirection) in the XY plane of relay stage DRST is measured by a positionmeasurement system (not shown) including, for example, an interferometerand/or an encoder and the like. The measurement results of the positionmeasurement system are supplied to main controller 20 for positioncontrol of relay stage DRST.

Furthermore, although illustration is omitted in FIG. 1, as shown inFIG. 5, exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment is equipped with anauxiliary stage AST that has a blade BL, in the vicinity of projectionunit PU. Auxiliary stage AST, as it can be seen from FIG. 5, issupported by levitation above base board 12 by a plurality ofnon-contact bearings (e.g., air bearings (omitted in drawings)) providedon its bottom surface, and is driven in the XY two-dimensional directionby an auxiliary stage drive system 58 (not shown in FIG. 5, refer toFIG. 3).

Configuration and the like of each of the parts configuring the stagesystem including the various measurement systems described above will beexplained in detail, later on.

Moreover, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, a multiple pointfocal point position detection system (hereinafter shortly referred toas a multipoint AF system) AF (not shown in FIG. 1, refer to FIG. 3) bythe oblique incidence method having a similar configuration as the onedisclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,332 and the like, isarranged in the vicinity of projection unit PU. Detection signals ofmultipoint AF system AF are supplied to main controller 20 (refer toFIG. 3) via an AF signal processing system (not shown). Main controller20 detects positional information (surface position information) of thewafer W surface in the Z-axis direction at a plurality of detectionpoints of the multipoint AF system AF based on detection signals ofmultipoint AF system AF, and performs a so-called focus leveling controlof wafer W during the scanning exposure based on the detection results.Incidentally, positional information (unevenness information) of thewafer W surface can be acquired in advance at the time of waferalignment (EGA) by arranging the multipoint AF system in the vicinity ofaligner 99 (alignment systems AL1, and AL2₁ to AL2₄), the so-calledfocus leveling control of wafer W can be performed at the time ofexposure, using the surface position information and measurement valuesof a laser interferometer system 75 (refer to FIG. 3) configuring a partof fine movement stage position measurement system 70A which will bedescribed later on. In this case, multipoint AF system does not have tobe provided in the vicinity of projection unit PU. Incidentally,measurement values of an encoder system 73 which will be described laterconfiguring fine movement stage position measurement system 70A can alsobe used, rather than laser interferometer system 75 in focus levelingcontrol.

Further, as is disclosed in detail in, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,646,413 and the like, a pair of reticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂(reticle alignment system RA₂ is hidden behind reticle alignment systemRA₁ in the depth of the page surface in FIG. 1.) of an image processingmethod that has an imaging device such as a CCD and the like and uses alight (in the embodiment, illumination light IL) of the exposurewavelength as an illumination light for alignment is placed abovereticle stage RST. The pair of reticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂ isused, in a state where a measurement plate to be described later on finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is positioned directly below projectionoptical system PL with main controller 20 detecting a projection imageof a pair of reticle alignment marks (omitted in drawings) formed onreticle R and a corresponding pair of first fiducial marks on themeasurement plate via projection optical system PL, to detect adetection center of a projection area of a pattern of reticle R and areference position on the measurement plate using projection opticalsystem PL, namely to detect a positional relation with a center of thepair of first fiducial marks. Detection signals of reticle alignmentdetection systems RA₁ and RA₂ are supplied to main controller 20 (referto FIG. 3) via a signal processing system (not shown). Incidentally,reticle alignment systems RA₁ and RA₂ do not have to be provided. Inthis case, it is desirable for fine movement stage WFS to have adetection system in which a light transmitting section (light-receivingsection) is installed so as to detect a projection image of the reticlealignment mark, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. 2002/0041377 and the like.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram showing an input/output relation of maincontroller 20, which centrally configures a control system of exposureapparatus 100 and has overall control over each part. Main controller 20includes a workstation (or a microcomputer) and the like, and hasoverall control over each part of exposure apparatus 100, such as localliquid immersion device 8, coarse movement stage drive systems 51A and51B, fine movement stage drive systems 52A and 52B, and relay stagedrive system 53 and the like previously described.

Now, a configuration and the like of each part of the stage systems willbe described in detail. First of all, wafer stages WST1 and WST2 will bedescribed. In the embodiment, wafer stage WST1 and wafer stage WST2 areconfigured identically, including the drive system, the positionmeasurement system and the like. Accordingly, in the followingdescription, wafer stage WST1 will be taken up and described,representatively.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, coarse movement stage WCS1 is equipped witha rectangular plate shaped coarse movement slides section 91 whoselongitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction in a planar view (whenviewing from the +Z direction), a rectangular plate shaped pair of sidewall sections 92 a and 92 b which are each fixed on the upper surface ofcoarse movement slider section 91 on one end and the other end in thelongitudinal direction in a state parallel to the YZ surface, with theY-axis direction serving as the longitudinal direction, and a pair ofstator sections 93 a and 93 b that are each fixed on the upper surfaceof side wall sections 92 a and 92 b. As a whole, coarse movement stageWCS1 has a box like shape having a low height whose upper surface in acenter in the X-axis direction and surfaces on both sides in the Y-axisdirection are open. More specifically, in coarse movement stage WCS1, aspace is formed inside penetrating in the Y-axis direction. To surfaces(inner side surfaces) facing each other of side wall sections 92 a and92 b, mirror-polishing is applied, so as to form reflection surfaces.Incidentally, instead of forming a reflection surface, a reflectionmirror consisting of a plane mirror can be fixed.

As shown in FIG. 6, coarse movement stage WSC1 is configured separableinto two sections, which are a first section WCS1a and a second sectionWCS1b, with a separation line in the center in the longitudinaldirection of coarse movement slider section 91 serving as a boundary.Accordingly, coarse movement slider section 91 is configured of a firstslider section 91 a which structures a part of the first section WCS1a,and a second slider section 91 b which structures a part of the secondsection WCS1b.

Inside base 12, a coil unit is housed, including a plurality of coils 14placed in the shape of a matrix with the XY two-dimensional directionserving as a row direction and a column direction, as shown in FIG. 1.

In correspondence with the coil unit, on the bottom surface of coarsemovement stage WCS1, or more specifically, on the bottom surface of thefirst slider section 91 a and the second slider section 91 b, a magnetunit is provided consisting of a plurality of permanent magnets 18placed in the shape of a matrix with the XY two-dimensional directionserving as a row direction and a column direction, as shown in FIG. 2A.The magnet unit configures coarse movement stage drive systems 51Aa and51Ab (refer to FIG. 3), consisting of a planar motor employing a Lorentzelectromagnetic drive method as is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.No. 5,196,745, along with the coil unit of base board 12. The magnitudeand direction of current supplied to each of the coils 14 configuringthe coil unit are controlled by main controller 20 (refer to FIG. 3).

On the bottom surface of each of the first slider section 91 a and thesecond slider section 91 b, a plurality of air bearings 94 is fixedaround the magnet unit described above. The first section WCS1a and thesecond section WCS1b of coarse movement stage WCS1 are each supported bylevitation above base board 12 by a predetermined clearance, such asaround several μm, by air bearings 94, and are driven in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the θz direction by coarse movementstage drive systems 51Aa and 51Ab.

The first section WCS1a and the second section WCS1b are normally lockedintegrally, via a lock mechanism (not shown). More specifically, thefirst section WCS1a and the second section WCS1b normally operateintegrally. Therefore, in the following description, a drive systemconsisting of a planar motor that drives coarse movement stage WCS1,which is made so that the first section WCS1a and the second sectionWCS1b are integrally formed, will be referred to as a coarse movementstage drive system 51A (refer to FIG. 3).

Incidentally, as coarse movement stage drive system 51A, the drivemethod is not limited to the planar motor using the Lorentzelectromagnetic force drive method, and for example, a planar motor by avariable reluctance drive system can also be used. Besides this, coarsemovement stage drive system 51A can be configured by a planar motor of amagnetic levitation type. In this case, the air bearings will not haveto be arranged on the bottom surface of coarse movement slider section91.

The pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b is each made of a member witha tabular outer shape, and in the inside, coil units CUa and CUb arehoused consisting of a plurality of coils to drive fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2). The magnitude and direction of current supplied to eachof the coils configuring coil units CUa and CUb are controlled by maincontroller 20 (refer to FIG. 3). The configuration of coil units CUa andCUb will be described further, later in the description. While finemovement stage WFS1 and fine movement stage WFS2 are configuredidentically, and are supported and driven similarly in a non-contactmanner by coarse movement stage WCS1 in this case, in the followingdescription, fine movement stage WFS1 will be taken up and described,representatively.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 beach have a rectangle tabular shape whose longitudinal direction is inthe Y-axis direction. Stator section 93 a has an end on the +X sidefixed to the upper surface of side wall section 92 a, and stator section93 b has an end on the −X side fixed to the upper surface of side wallsection 92 b.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, fine movement stage WFS1 is equipped with amain body section 81 consisting of an octagonal plate shape member whoselongitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction in a planar view, anda pair of mover sections 82 a and 82 b that are each fixed to one endand the other end of main body section 81 in the longitudinal direction.

Main body section 81 is formed of a transparent material through whichlight can pass, so that a measurement beam (a laser beam) of an encodersystem which will be described later can proceed inside the main bodysection. Further, main body section 81 is formed solid (does not haveany space inside) in order to reduce the influence of air fluctuation tothe laser beam inside the main body section. Incidentally, it ispreferable for the transparent material to have a low thermal expansion,and as an example in the embodiment, synthetic quarts (glass) is used.Incidentally, main body section 81 can be structured all by thetransparent material or only the section which the measurement beam ofthe encoder system passes through can be structured by the transparentmaterial, and only the section which this measurement beam passesthrough can be formed solid.

In the center of the upper surface of main body section 81 (to be moreprecise, a cover glass which will be described later) of fine movementstage WFS1, a wafer holder (not shown) is arranged which holds wafer Wby vacuum suction or the like. In the embodiment, for example, a waferholder of a-so-called pin chuck method on which a plurality of supportsections (pin members) supporting wafer W are formed within a loopshaped projecting section (rim section) is used, and grating RG to bedescribed later is provided on the other surface (rear surface) of thewafer holder whose one surface (surface) is a wafer mounting surface.Incidentally, the wafer holder can be formed integrally with finemovement stage WFS1, or can be fixed to main body section 81, forexample, via an electrostatic chuck mechanism, a clamping mechanism, orby adhesion and the like. In the former case, grating RG is to beprovided on a back surface side of fine movement stage WFS1.

Furthermore, on the upper surface of main body section 81 on the outerside of the wafer holder (mounting area of wafer W), as shown in FIGS.2A and 2B, a plate (a liquid repellent plate) 83 is attached that has acircular opening one size larger than wafer W (the wafer holder) formedin the center, and also has an octagonal outer shape (contour)corresponding to main body section 81. Plate 83 is made of a materialwith a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as glass or ceramics(e.g., such as Zerodur (the brand name) of Schott AG, Al2O3, or TiC),and on the surface of plate 83, a liquid repellent treatment is applied.To be more specific, a liquid repellent film is formed, for example, byfluorine resin materials, fluorine series resin materials such aspolytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon (registered trademark)), acrylic resinmaterials, or silicon series resin materials and the like. Plate 83 isfixed to the upper surface of main body section 81, so that its entiresurface (or a part of its surface) becomes substantially flush with thesurface of wafer W. Further, in plate 83, on the −Y side end of plate83, as shown in FIG. 2B, a measurement plate 86, which has a narrowrectangular shape in the X-axis direction, is set in a state where itssurface is substantially flush with the surface of plate 83, or morespecifically, the surface of wafer W. On the surface of measurementplate 86, at least a pair of first fiducial marks detected by each ofthe pair of reticle alignment systems RA1 and RA2 and a second fiducialmark detected by primary alignment system AL1 are formed (both the firstand second fiducial marks are omitted in the drawing). Incidentally,instead of attaching plate 83 to main body section 81, for example, thewafer holder can be formed integrally with fine movement stage WFS1, anda liquid repellent treatment can be applied to the upper surface of finemovement stage WFS1 in a periphery area (an area the same as plate 83(can include the surface of measurement plate 86) surrounding the waferholder.

As shown in FIG. 2A, on the upper surface of main body section 81, atwo-dimensional grating (hereinafter merely referred to as a grating) RGis placed horizontally (parallel to the wafer W surface). Grating RG isfixed (or formed) on the upper surface of main body section 81consisting of a transparent material. Grating RG includes a reflectiondiffraction grating (X diffraction grating) whose periodic direction isin the X-axis direction and a reflection diffraction grating (Ydiffraction grating) whose periodic direction is in the Y-axisdirection. In the embodiment, the area (hereinafter, forming area) onmain body section 81 where the two-dimensional grating is fixed orformed, as an example, is in a circular shape which is one size largerthan wafer W.

Grating RG is covered and protected with a protective member, such as,for example, a cover glass 84. In the embodiment, on the upper surfaceof cover glass 84, the holding mechanism (electrostatic chuck mechanismand the like) previously described to hold the wafer holder by suctionis provided. Incidentally, in the embodiment, while cover glass 84 isprovided so as to cover almost the entire surface of the upper surfaceof main body section 81, cover glass 84 can be arranged so as to coveronly a part of the upper surface of main body section 81 which includesgrating RG. Further, while the protective member (cover glass 84) can beformed of the same material as main body section 81, besides this, theprotective member can be formed of, for example, metal or ceramics.Further, although a plate shaped protective member is desirable becausea sufficient thickness is required to protect grating RG, a thin filmprotective member can also be used depending on the material.

Incidentally, of the forming area of grating RG, on a surface of coverglass 84 corresponding to an area where the forming area spreads to theperiphery of the wafer holder, it is desirable, for example, to providea reflection member (e.g., a thin film and the like) which covers theforming area, so that the measurement beam of the encoder systemirradiated on grating RG does not pass through cover glass 84, or morespecifically, so that the intensity of the measurement beam does notchange greatly in the inside and the outside of the area on the rearsurface of the wafer holder.

Moreover, the other surface of the transparent plate which has gratingRG fixed or formed on one surface can be placed in contact or inproximity to the rear surface of the wafer holder and a protectivemember (cover glass 84) can also be provided on the one surface side ofthe transparent plate, or, the one surface of the transparent platewhich has grating RG fixed or formed can be placed in contact or inproximity to the rear surface of the wafer holder, without having theprotective member (cover glass 84) arranged. Especially in the formercase, grating RG can be fixed to or formed on an opaque member such asceramics instead of the transparent plate, or grating RG can be is fixedto or formed on the rear side of the wafer holder. Or, the hold waferholder and grating RG can simply be held by a conventional fine movementstage. Further, the wafer holder can be made of a solid glass member,and grating RG can be placed on the upper surface (a wafer mountingsurface) of the glass member.

As it can also be seen from FIG. 2A, main body section 81 consists of anoverall octagonal plate shape member that has an extending section whichextends outside on one end and the other end in the longitudinaldirection, and on its bottom surface, a recessed section is formed atthe section facing grating RG. Main body section 81 is formed so thatthe center area where grating RG is arranged is formed in a plate shapewhose thickness is substantially uniform.

On the upper surface of each of the extending sections on the +X sideand the −X side of main body section 81, spacers 85 a and 85 b having aprojecting shape when sectioned are provided, with each of theprojecting sections 89 a and 89 b extending outward in the Y-axisdirection.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, mover section 82 a includes two plate-likemembers 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂ having a rectangular shape in a planar viewwhose size (length) in the Y-axis direction and size (width) in theX-axis direction are both shorter than stator section 93 a (around halfthe size). These two plate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂ are both fixedparallel to the XY plane, in a state set apart only by a predetermineddistance in the Z-axis direction (vertically), via projecting section 89a of spacer 85 a previously described, with respect to the end on the +Xside in the longitudinal direction of main body section 81. In thiscase, the −X side end of plate-like member 82 a ₂ is clamped by spacer85 a and the extending section on the +X side of main body section 81.Between the two plate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂, an end on the −Xside of stator section 93 a of coarse movement stage WCS1 is inserted ina non-contact manner. Inside plate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂,magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂ which will be described later are provided.

Mover section 82 b includes two plate-like members 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂maintained at a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction(vertically), and is configured in a similar manner with mover section82 a, although being symmetrical. Between the two plate-like members 82b ₁ and 82 b ₂, an end on the +X side of stator section 93 b of coarsemovement stage WCS is inserted in a non-contact manner. Insideplate-like members 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂, magnet units MUb₁ and MUb₂ areprovided, which are configured similar to magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂.

Now, as is previously described, because the surface on both sides inthe Y-axis direction is open in coarse movement stage WCS1, whenattaching fine movement stage WFS1 to coarse movement stage WCS1, theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Z-axis direction should bepositioned so that stator section 93 a, 93 b are located betweenplate-like members 82 a ₁ and 82 a ₂, and 82 b ₁ and 82 b ₂,respectively, and then fine movement stage WFS1 can be moved (slid) inthe Y-axis direction.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, in an area on one side and the other sidein the X-axis direction (the lateral direction of the page surface inFIG. 2B) on the upper surface of plate 83, Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ arefixed, respectively. Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are each composed of areflective grating (for example, a one-dimensional diffraction grating)having a periodic direction in the Y-axis direction in which grid lineswhose longitudinal direction is in the X-axis direction are placed in apredetermined pitch along a direction parallel to the Y-axis (the Y-axisdirection).

Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are made, with graduations of the diffractiongrating marked, for example, in a pitch between 138 nm to 4 μm, such asa pitch of 1 μm, on a thin plate shaped glass. A liquid repellenttreatment against liquid Lq is applied to the surface of these scales.Incidentally, the pitch of the grating is shown much wider in FIG. 2Bthan the actual pitch, for the sake of convenience. The same is truealso in other drawings. Incidentally, the type of diffraction gratingsused for Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ are not limited to the diffractiongrating made up of grooves or the like that are mechanically formed, andfor example, can also be a grating that is created by exposinginterference fringe on a photosensitive resin. Further, in order toprotect the diffraction grating, the diffraction grating can be coveredwith a glass plate with low thermal expansion that has water repellencyso that the surface of the glass plate becomes the same height (surfaceposition) as the surface of the wafer.

Incidentally, near one end in the longitudinal direction of Y scales87Y₁ and 87Y₂, a pattern for positioning (not shown) is arranged,respectively, to decide a relative position (to be described later)between an encoder head and a scale. The pattern for positioning isconfigured, for example, from grid lines that have differentreflectivity, and when the encoder head scans the pattern, the intensityof the output signal of the encoder changes. Therefore, a thresholdvalue is determined beforehand, and the position where the intensity ofthe output signal exceeds the threshold value is detected. Then, therelative position between the encoder head and each of the Y scales isset, with the detected position as a reference.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, mirror-polishing is applied to eachinclined plane (a plane, which is perpendicular to the XY plane and isalso inclined with respect to the X-axis and the Y-axis) formed on thefour corners of plate 83, so as to form reflection surfaces 88 a, 88 b,88 c, and 88 d for a laser interferometer system 79 (refer to FIG. 3)(to be described later). Incidentally, instead of forming the reflectionsurfaces described above, movable mirrors consisting of plane mirrorscan be attached to plate 83.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, mirror-polishing is applied to the sidesurface on the −Y side of main body section 81 of fine movement stageWFS1 (and fine movement stage WFS2), so that a reflection surface 61 forfine movement stage position measurement system 70D (refer to FIG. 3)(to be described later) is formed. Incidentally, instead of formingreflection surface 61, a movable mirror consisting of a plane mirror canbe attached to main body section 81. Further, to two side surfaces(inclined planes) that have reflection surface 61 of main body section81 of fine movement stage WFS1 (and fine movement stage WFS2) arrangedin between, movable mirrors 63 a and 63 b consisting of plane mirrorsfor fine movement stage position measurement system 70D (to be describedlater) are fixed. The reflection surfaces of movable mirrors 63 a and 63b are each perpendicular to the XY plane, and also form an angle, forexample, of 45 degrees, with respect to the XZ plane.

Next, a configuration of fine movement stage drive system 52A torelatively drive fine movement stage WFS1 with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1 will be described.

Fine movement stage drive system 52A includes the pair of magnet unitsMUa₁ and MUa₂ that mover section 82 a previously described has, coilunit CUa that stator section 93 a has, the pair of magnet units MUb₁ andMUb₂ that mover section 82 b has, and coil unit CUb that stator section93 b has.

This will be explained further in detail. As it can be seen from FIGS.7, 8A, and 8B, at the end on the −X side inside stator section 93 a, twolines of coil rows are placed a predetermined distance apart in theX-axis direction, which are a plurality of (in this case, twelve) YZcoils (hereinafter appropriately referred to as “coils”) 55 and 57 thathave a rectangular shape in a planar view and are placed equally apartin the Y-axis direction. YZ coil 55 has an upper part winding 55 a and alower part winding 55 b in a rectangular shape in a planar view that aredisposed such that they overlap in the vertical direction (the Z-axisdirection). Further, between the two lines of coil rows described aboveinside stator section 93 a, an X coil (hereinafter shortly referred toas a “coil” as appropriate) 56 is placed, which is narrow and has arectangular shape in a planar view and whose longitudinal direction isin the Y-axis direction. In this case, the two lines of coil rows and Xcoil 56 are placed equally spaced in the X-axis direction. Coil unit CUais configured including the two lines of coil rows and X coil 56.

Incidentally, in the description below, while one of the stator sections93 a of the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b and mover section 82 asupported by this stator section 93 a will be described using FIGS. 7 to9C, the other (the −X side) stator section 93 b and mover section 82 bwill be structured similar to these sections and will function in asimilar manner. Accordingly, coil unit CUb, and magnet units MUb₁ andMUb₂ are structured similar to coil unit CUa, and magnet units MUa₁ andMUa₂.

Inside plate-like member 82 a 1 on the +Z side configuring a part ofmovable section 82 a of fine movement stage WFS1, as it can be seen whenreferring to FIGS. 7, 8A, and 8B, two lines of magnet rows are placed apredetermined distance apart in the X-axis direction, which are aplurality of (in this case, ten) permanent magnets 65 a and 67 a thathave a rectangular shape in a planar view and whose longitudinaldirection is in the X-axis direction. The two lines of magnet rows areplaced facing coils 55 and 57, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the plurality of permanent magnets 65 a areconfigured such that permanent magnets whose upper surface sides (+Zsides) are N poles and the lower surface sides (−Z sides) are S polesand permanent magnets whose upper surface sides (+Z sides) are S polesand the lower surface sides (−Z sides) are N poles are arrangedalternately in the Y-axis direction. The magnet row consisting of theplurality of permanent magnets 67 a is structured similar to the magnetrow consisting of the plurality of permanent magnets 65 a.

Further, between the two lines of magnet rows described above insideplate-like member 82 a ₁, a pair (two) of permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and66 a ₂ whose longitudinal direction is in the Y-axis direction is placedset apart in the X axis direction, facing coil 56. As shown in FIG. 8A,permanent magnet 66 a ₁ is configured such that its upper surface side(+Z side) is an N pole and its lower surface side (−Z side) is an Spole, whereas with permanent magnet 66 a ₂, its upper surface side (+Zside) is an S pole and its lower surface side (−Z side) is an N pole.

Magnet unit MUa₁ is configured by the plurality of permanent magnets 65a and 67 a, and 66 a ₁ and 66 a ₂ described above.

As shown in FIG. 8A, also inside plate-like member 82 a ₂ on the −Zside, permanent magnets 65 b, 66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b are placed in aplacement similar to plate-like member 82 a ₁ on the +Z side describedabove. Magnet unit MUa₂ is configured by these permanent magnets 65 b,66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b. Incidentally, in FIG. 7, permanent magnets 65b, 66 b ₁, 66 b ₂, and 67 b inside plate-like members 82 a ₂ on the −Zside are placed in the depth of the page surface, with magnets 65 a, 66a ₁, 66 a ₂, and 67 a placed on top.

Now, with fine movement stage drive system 52A, as shown in FIG. 8B,positional relation (each distance) in the Y-axis direction between theplurality of permanent magnets 65 and the plurality of YZ coils 55 isset so that when in the plurality of permanent magnets (in FIG. 8B,permanent magnets 65 a ₁ to 65 a ₅ which are sequentially arranged alongthe Y-axis direction) placed adjacently in the Y-axis direction, twoadjacent permanent magnets 65 a ₁ and 65 a ₂ each face the windingsection of YZ coil 55 ₁, then permanent magnet 65 a ₃ adjacent to thesepermanent magnets does not face the winding section of YZ coil 55 ₂adjacent to YZ coil 55 ₁ described above (so that permanent magnet 65 a₃ faces the hollow center in the center of the coil, or faces a core,such as an iron core, to which the coil is wound). Incidentally, asshown in FIG. 8B, permanent magnets 65 a 4 and 65 a ₅ each face thewinding section of YZ coil 55 ₃, which is adjacent to YZ coil 55 ₂. Thedistance between permanent magnets 65 b, 67 a, and 67 b in the Y-axisdirection is also similar (refer to FIG. 8B).

Accordingly, in fine movement stage drive system 52A, as an example,when a clockwise electric current when viewed from the +Z direction issupplied to the upper part winding and the lower part winding of coils55 ₁ and 55 ₃, respectively, as shown in FIG. 9A in a state shown inFIG. 8B, a force (Lorentz force) in the −Y direction acts on coils 55 ₁and 55 ₃, and as a reaction force, a force in the +Y direction acts onpermanent magnets 65 a and 65 b. By these action of forces, finemovement stage WFS1 moves in the +Y direction with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1. When a counterclockwise electric current whenviewed from the +Z direction is supplied to each of the coils 55 ₁ and55 ₃ conversely to the case described above, fine movement stage WFS1moves in the −Y direction with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1.

By supplying an electric current to coil 57, electromagnetic interactionis performed between permanent magnet 67 (67 a, 67 b) and fine movementstage WFS1 can be driven in the Y-axis direction. Main controller 20controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis directionby controlling the current supplied to each coil.

Further, in fine movement stage drive system 52A, as an example, when acounterclockwise electric current when viewed from the +Z direction issupplied to the upper part winding of coil 55 ₂ and a clockwise electriccurrent when viewed from the +Z direction is supplied to the lower partwinding as shown in FIG. 9B in a state shown in FIG. 8B, an attractionforce is generated between coil 55 ₂ and permanent magnet 65 a 3 whereasa repulsive force (repulsion) is generated between coil 55 ₂ andpermanent magnet 65 b ₃, respectively, and by these attraction force andrepulsive force, fine movement stage WFS1 is moved downward (−Zdirection) with respect to coarse movement stage WSC1, or moreparticularly, moved in a descending direction. When a current in adirection opposite to the case described above is supplied to the upperpart winding and the lower part winding of coil 55 ₂, respectively, finemovement stage WFS1 moves upward (+Z direction) with respect to coarsemovement stage WCS1, or more particularly, moves in an upward direction.Main controller 20 controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 inthe Z-axis direction which is in a levitated state by controlling thecurrent supplied to each coil.

Further, in a state shown in FIG. 8A, when a clockwise electric currentwhen viewed from the +Z direction is supplied to coil 56, a force in the+X direction acts on coil 56 as shown in FIG. 9C, and as its reaction, aforce in the −X direction acts on permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and 66 a ₂,and 66 b ₁ and 66 b ₂, respectively, and fine movement stage WFS1 ismoved in the −X direction with respect to coarse movement stage WSC1.Further, when a counterclockwise electric current when viewed from the+Z direction is supplied to coil 56 conversely to the case describedabove, a force in the +X direction acts on permanent magnets 66 a ₁ and66 a ₂, and 66 b ₁ and 66 b ₂, and fine movement stage WFS1 is moved inthe +X direction with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1. Maincontroller 20 controls a position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theX-axis direction by controlling the current supplied to each coil.

As is obvious from the description above, in the embodiment, maincontroller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction bysupplying an electric current alternately to the plurality of YZ coils55 and 57 that are arranged in the Y-axis direction. Further, along withthis, by supplying electric current to coils of YZ coils 55 and 57 thatare not used to drive fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction,main controller 20 generates a drive force in the Z-axis directionseparately from the drive force in the Y-axis direction and makes finemovement stage WFS1 levitate from coarse movement stage WCS1. And, maincontroller 20 drives fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis directionwhile maintaining the levitated state of fine movement stage WFS1 withrespect to coarse movement stage WCS1, namely a noncontact state, bysequentially switching the coil subject to current supply according tothe position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction.Further, main controller 20 can also drive fine movement stage WFS1independently in the X-axis direction along with the Y-axis direction,in a state where fine movement stage WFS1 is levitated from coarsemovement stage WCS1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10A, for example, main controller 20 can makefine movement stage WFS1 rotate around the Z-axis (θz rotation) (referto the outlined arrow in FIG. 10A), by applying a drive force (thrust)in the Y-axis direction having a different magnitude to both moversection 82 a on the +X side and mover section 82 b on the −X side offine movement stage WFS1 (refer to the black arrow in FIG. 10A).Incidentally, in contrast with FIG. 10A, by making the drive forceapplied to mover section 82 a on the +X side larger than the −X side,fine movement stage WFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise withrespect to the Z-axis.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10B, main controller 20 can make fine movementstage WFS1 rotate around the Y-axis (Gy drive) (refer to the outlinedarrow in FIG. 10B), by applying a different levitation force (refer tothe black arrows in FIG. 10B) to both mover section 82 a on the +X sideand mover section 82 b on the −X side of fine movement stage WFS1.Incidentally, in contrast with FIG. 10B, by making the levitation forceapplied to mover section 82 a on the +X side larger than the −X side,fine movement stage WFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise withrespect to the Y-axis.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10C, for example, main controller 20 can makefine movement stage WFS1 rotate around the X-axis (ex drive) (refer tothe outlined arrow in FIG. 10C), by applying a different levitationforce to both mover sections 82 a and 82 b of fine movement stage WFS1on the + side and the − side in the Y-axis direction (refer to the blackarrow in FIG. 10C). Incidentally, in contrast with FIG. 10C, by makingthe levitation force applied to mover section 82 a (and 82 b) on the −Yside smaller than the levitation force on the +Y side, fine movementstage WFS1 can be made to rotate counterclockwise with respect to theX-axis.

As it can be seen from the description above, in the embodiment, finemovement stage drive system 52A supports fine movement stage WFS1 bylevitation in a non-contact state with respect to coarse movement stageWCS1, and can also drive fine movement stage WFS1 in a non-contactmanner in directions of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, θz)with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1.

Further, in the embodiment, by supplying electric current to the twolines of coils 55 and 57 (refer to FIG. 7) placed inside stator section93 a in directions opposite to each other when applying the levitationforce to fine movement stage WFS1, for example, main controller 20 canapply a rotational force (refer to the outlined arrow in FIG. 11) aroundthe Y-axis simultaneously with the levitation force (refer to the blackarrow in FIG. 11) with respect to mover section 82 a, as shown in FIG.11. Further, by applying a rotational force around the Y-axis to each ofthe pair of mover sections 82 a and 82 b in directions opposite to eachother, main controller 20 can deflect the center of fine movement stageWFS1 in the +Z direction or the −Z direction (refer to the hatched arrowin FIG. 11). Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11, by bending the center offine movement stage WFS1 in the +Z direction, the deflection in themiddle part of fine movement stage WFS1 (main body section 81) in theX-axis direction due to the self-weight of wafer W and main body section81 can be canceled out, and degree of parallelization of the wafer Wsurface with respect to the XY plane (horizontal surface) can besecured. This is particularly effective, in the case such as when thediameter of wafer W becomes large and fine movement stage WFS1 alsobecomes large.

Further, when wafer W is deformed by its own weight and the like, thereis a risk that the surface of wafer W mounted on fine movement stageWFS1 will no longer be within the range of the depth of focus ofprojection optical system PL within the irradiation area (exposure areaIA) of illumination light IL. Therefore, similar to the case describedabove where main controller 20 deflects the center in the X-axisdirection of fine movement stage WFS1 to the +Z direction, by applying arotational force around the Y-axis to each of the pair of mover sections82 a and 82 b in directions opposite to each other, wafer W is deformedto be substantially flat, and the surface of wafer W within exposurearea IA can fall within the range of the depth of focus of projectionoptical system PL. Incidentally, while FIG. 11 shows an example wherefine movement stage WFS1 is bent in the +Z direction (a convex shape),fine movement stage WFS1 can also be bent in a direction opposite tothis (a concave shape) by controlling the direction of the electriccurrent supplied to the coils.

Incidentally, the method of making fine movement stage WFS1 (and wafer Wheld by this stage) deform in a concave shape or a convex shape within asurface (XZ plane) perpendicular to the Y-axis can be applied, not onlyin the case of correcting deflection caused by its own weight and/orfocus leveling control, but also in the case of employing asuper-resolution technology which substantially increases the depth offocus by changing the position in the Z-axis direction at apredetermined point within the range of the depth of focus, while thepredetermined point within the shot area of wafer W crosses exposurearea IA.

As is previously described, fine movement stage WFS2 is configuredidentical to fine movement stage WFS1 described above, and can besupported in a non-contact manner by coarse movement stage WCS1 insteadof fine movement stage WFS1. In this case, coarse movement stage WCS1and fine movement stage WFS2 supported by coarse movement stage WCS1configure wafer stage WST1, and a pair of mover sections (one pair eachof magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂, and MUb₁ and MUb₂) equipped in finemovement stage WFS2 and a pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b (coilunits CUa and Cub) of coarse movement stage WCS1 configure fine movementstage drive system 52A. And by this fine movement stage drive system52A, fine movement stage WFS2 is driven in a non-contact manner indirections of six degrees of freedom with respect to coarse movementstage WCS1.

Further, fine movement stages WFS2 and WFS1 can each make coarsemovement stage WCS2 support them in a non-contact manner, and coarsemovement stage WCS2 and fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 supported bycoarse movement stage WCS2 configure wafer stage WST2. In this case, apair of mover sections (one pair each of magnet units MUa₁ and MUa₂, andMUb₁ and MUb₂) equipped in fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 and a pairof stator sections 93 a and 93 b (coil units CUa and CUb) of coarsemovement stage WCS2 configure fine movement stage drive system 52B(refer to FIG. 3). And by this fine movement stage drive system 52B,fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 is driven in a non-contact manner indirections of six degrees of freedom with respect to coarse movementstage WCS2.

Referring back to FIG. 1, relay stage DRST is equipped with a stage mainsection 44 configured similar to coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2(however, it is not structured so that it can be divided into a firstsection and a second section), and a carrier apparatus 46 (refer to FIG.3) provided inside stage main section 44. Accordingly, stage mainsection 44 can support (hold) fine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2 in anon-contact manner as in coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, and thefine movement stage supported by relay stage DRST can be driven indirections of six degrees of freedom (X, Y, Z, θx, θy, and θz) by finemovement stage drive system 52C (refer to FIG. 3) with respect to relaystage DRST. However, the fine movement stage should be slidable at leastin the Y-axis direction with respect to relay stage DRST.

Carrier apparatus 46 is equipped with a carrier member main sectionwhich is reciprocally movable in the Y-axis direction with apredetermined stroke along both of the side walls in the X-axisdirection of stage main section 44 of relay stage DRST and is verticallymovable also in the Z-axis direction with a predetermined stroke, acarrier member 48 including a movable member which can relatively movein the Y-axis direction with respect to the carrier member main sectionwhile holding fine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2, and a carrier memberdrive system 54 (refer to FIG. 3) which can individually drive thecarrier member main section configuring carrier member 48 and themovable member. Carrier member drive system 54 individually drives thecarrier member main section and the movable member, based on measurementvalues of a sensor (not shown) (e.g., an encoder) which measures aposition in the Y-axis direction of the each of the carrier member mainsection and the movable member.

Now, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, main controller 20performs delivery of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 between coarsemovement stages WCS1 and WCS2, reciprocally, via relay stage DRST.Delivery of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 between coarse movementstages WCS1 and WCS2, reciprocally, in concrete terms, means, forexample, switching from a first state (refer to FIG. 1) where finemovement stage WFS1 is supported by coarse movement stage WCS1 and finemovement stage WFS2 is supported by coarse movement stage WCS2, to asecond state where fine movement stage WFS2 is supported by coarsemovement stage WCS1 and fine movement stage WFS1 is supported by coarsemovement stage WCS2, or conversely, switching from the second state tothe first state.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, at the time of exposureoperation by the step-and-scan method to wafer W, and the time ofalignment measurement of wafer W using aligner 99, positionalinformation (including the positional information in the θz direction)in the XY plane of each of the fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 ismeasured by main controller 20 using encoder system 73 (refer to FIG. 3)of fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and 70B.Positional information of each of the fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2is sent to main controller 20, which controls the position of each ofthe fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 based on this positionalinformation.

In contrast to this, when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) isdelivered from coarse movement stage WCS2 to coarse movement stage WCS1via relay stage DRST, the positional information of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) in the XY plane is measured by main controller 20 usingfine movement stage position measurement system 70C (refer to FIG. 3),which includes an encoder system 78 and laser interferometer system 79.The concrete configuration of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70C will be described, later in the description.

Further, when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is delivered fromcoarse movement stage WCS1 to coarse movement stage WCS2 via relay stageDRST, the positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)in the XY plane is measured by main controller 20 using fine movementstage position measurement system 70D (refer to FIG. 3), which mainlyincludes a laser interferometer system. The concrete configuration offine movement stage position measurement system 70D will be described,later in the description.

Further, the positional information of coarse movement stages WCS1 andWCS2 within the XY plane when the reciprocal delivery of fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 is performed, is measured by main controller 20,using wafer stage position measurement systems 16A and 16B (refer toFIGS. 1 and 3). As shown in FIG. 1, wafer stage position measurementsystems 16A and 16B include laser interferometers which irradiatemeasurement beams on reflection surfaces formed on each of the sidesurfaces of coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 by mirror-polishing,and measure the positional information of coarse movement stages WCS1and WCS2 within the XY plane. Incidentally, although illustration isomitted in FIG. 1, in actual practice, a Y reflection surfaceperpendicular to the Y-axis and an X reflection surface perpendicular tothe X-axis are formed on each of the coarse movement stages WCS1 andWCS2, and corresponding to these surfaces, an X interferometer and a Yinterferometer are each provided which irradiate measurement beams,respectively, on to the X reflection surfaces and the Y reflectionsurfaces. Incidentally, in wafer stage position measurement systems 16Aand 16B, for example, the Y interferometer has a plurality ofmeasurement axes, and positional information (rotational information) inthe θz direction of coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 can also bemeasured, based on an output of each of the measurement axes.Incidentally, the positional information of coarse movement stages WCS1and WCS2 in the XY plane can be measured using other measurementdevices, such as for example, an encoder system, instead of wafer stageposition measurement systems 16A and 16B described above. In this case,for example, a two-dimensional scale can be placed on the upper surfaceof base board 12, and an encoder head can be arranged on the bottomsurface of coarse movement stage WCS1.

Next, auxiliary stage AST will be described. FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12Cshow a side view (a view seen from the −Y direction), a front view (aview seen from the +X direction), and a planar view (a view seen fromthe +Z direction) of auxiliary stage AST, respectively. As shown inFIGS. 12A to 12C, auxiliary stage AST is equipped with a rectangularshaped slider section 60 whose longitudinal direction is in the X-axisdirection in a planar view (when viewed from the +Z direction), asupport section 62 made of a rectangular plate member fixed in a stateparallel to the YZ plane to an end on the −X side of the upper surfaceof slider section 60, and a blade BL made of a rectangular plate whichis supported in a cantilevered state by support section 62.

On the bottom surface of slider section 60, although it is not shown, amagnet unit is provided which is made up of a plurality of permanentmagnets that configure an auxiliary stage drive system 58 (refer to FIG.3) made up of a planar motor using the Lorenz electromagnetic forcedrive method, along with the coil unit of base board 12. On the bottomsurface of slider section 60, a plurality of air bearings is fixedaround the magnet unit described above. Auxiliary stage AST is supportedby levitation above base board 12 by a predetermined clearance, such asaround several μm, by the air bearings previously described, and isdriven in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by auxiliarystage drive system 58.

Usually, auxiliary stage AST waits at a waiting position distanced by apredetermined distance or more on the −X side of measurement arm 71A, asshown in FIG. 20. Because blade BL configures a part of auxiliary stageAST, when auxiliary stage AST is driven within the XY plane, then bladeBL is also driven in the XY plane. More specifically, auxiliary stagedrive system 58 also serves as a blade drive system which drives bladeBL in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

As it can be seen from FIGS. 12A and 12B, an end on the −X side of bladeBL is fixed to the upper surface of support section 62, in a state wherean end on the +Y side projects out outside of support section 62 by apredetermined amount.

In the embodiment, the upper surface of blade BL has liquid repellencyto liquid Lq. Blade BL, for example, includes a metal base material suchas stainless steel and the like, and a film of a liquid-repellentmaterial formed on the surface of the base material. Theliquid-repellent material includes, for example, PFA (Tetra fluoroethylene-perfluoro alkylvinyl ether copolymer), PTFE (Poly tetra fluoroethylene), Teflon (a registered trademark) and the like. Incidentally,the material forming the film can be an acrylic-based resin or asilicone-based resin. Further, the whole blade BL can be formed of atleast one of the PFA, PTFE, Teflon (a registered trademark),acrylic-based resin, and silicone-based resin. In the embodiment, thecontact angle of the upper surface of blade BL to liquid Lq is, forexample, 90 degrees or more.

Auxiliary stage AST is engageable with measurement arm 71A from the −Xside, and in the engaged state, blade BL is located right abovemeasurement arm 71A. Further, blade BL can be in contact or in proximitywith fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), which is supported by coarsemovement stage WCS1, from the −Y side, and a surface appearing to becompletely flat (for example, refer to FIG. 21) is formed in the contactor proximity state with the upper surface of fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2). Blade BL (auxiliary stage AST) is driven by main controller20 via auxiliary stage drive system 58, and performs delivery of aliquid immersion space (liquid Lq) with fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2). Incidentally, the delivery of the liquid immersion space (liquidLq) between blade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) will bedescribed further later on.

Next, a concrete configuration and the like of aligner 99 shown in FIG.1 will be described, referring to FIG. 13.

FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of aligner 99 in a state where mainframe BD is partially broken. As described above, aligner 99 is equippedwith primary alignment system AL1 and four secondary alignment systemsAL2₁, AL2₂, AL2₃, and AL2₄. The pair of secondary alignment systems AL2₁and AL2₂ placed on the +X side of primary alignment system AL1 and thepair of secondary alignment systems AL2₃ and AL2₄ placed on the −X sidehave a symmetric configuration centered on primary alignment system AL1.Further, as is disclosed in, for example, PCT International PublicationNo. 2008/056735 (the corresponding U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2009/0233234), secondary alignment systems AL21 to AL24 areindependently movable by a drive system which includes a slider, a drivemechanism and the like that will be described later on.

Primary alignment system AL1 is supported via a support member 202, in asuspended state at the lower surface of main frame BD. As primaryalignment system AL1, for example, an FIA (Field Image Alignment) systemby an image processing method is used that irradiates a broadbanddetection beam that does not expose the resist on a wafer to a subjectmark, and picks up an image of the subject mark formed on alight-receiving plane by the reflected light from the subject mark andan image of an index (an index pattern on an index plate arranged withineach alignment system) (not shown), using an imaging device (such asCCD), and then outputs their imaging signals. The imaging signals fromthis primary alignment system AL1 are supplied to main controller 20(refer to FIG. 3).

Sliders SL1 and SL2 are fixed to the upper surface of secondaryalignment systems AL2₁ and AL2₂, respectively. On the +Z side of slidersSL1 and SL2, an FIA surface plate 302 is provided fixed to the lowersurface of main frame BD. Further, sliders SL3 and SL4 are fixed to theupper surface of secondary alignment systems AL2₃ and AL2₄,respectively. On the +Z side of sliders SL3 and SL4, an FIA surfaceplate 102 is provided fixed to the lower surface of main frame BD.

Secondary alignment system AL2₄ is an FIA system like primary alignmentsystem AL1, and includes a roughly L-shaped barrel 109 in which anoptical member such as a lens has been arranged. On the upper surface (asurface on the +Z side) of the portion extending in the Y-axis directionof barrel 109, slider SL4 previously described is fixed, and this sliderSL4 is arranged facing FIA surface plate 102 previously described.

FIA surface plate 102 is made of a member (e.g., Invar and the like)which is a magnetic material also having a low thermal expansion, and anarmature unit including a plurality of armature coils are arranged in apart of the plate (near the end on the +Y side). As an example, thearmature unit includes two Y drive coils and a pair of X drive coilgroups. Further, in the inside of FIA surface plate 102, a liquid flowchannel (not shown) is formed, and by the cooling liquid which flowsthrough the flow channel, the temperature of FIA surface plate 102 iscontrolled (cooled) to a predetermined temperature.

Slider SL4 includes a slider main section, a plurality of static gasbearings provided in the slider main section, a plurality of permanentmagnets, and a magnet pole unit. As the static gas bearings, a staticgas bearing of a so-called ground gas supply type is used that suppliesgas via a gas flow channel within FIA surface plate 102. The pluralityof permanent magnets face FIA surface plate 102 made of the magneticmaterial previously described, and a magnetic attraction acts constantlybetween the plurality of permanent magnets and FIA surface plate 102.Accordingly, while gas is not supplied to the plurality of static gasbearings, slider SL4 moves closest to (is in contact with) the lowersurface of FIA surface plate 102 by a magnetic attraction. When gas issupplied to the plurality of static gas bearings, a repulsion occursbetween FIA surface plate 102 and slider SL4 due to static pressure ofthe gas. By a balance between the magnetic attraction and the staticpressure (repulsion) of the gas, slider SL4 is maintained (held) in astate where a predetermined clearance is formed between the uppersurface of the slider and the lower surface of FIA surface plate 102.Hereinafter, the former is referred to as a “landed state”, and thelatter will be referred to as a “floating state”.

The magnet pole unit is provided corresponding to the armature unitpreviously described, and in the embodiment, by an electromagneticinteraction between the magnet pole unit and the armature unit (the twoY drive coils and the pair of X drive coil groups), a drive force in theX-axis direction, a drive force in the Y-axis direction, and a driveforce in a rotational (θz) direction around the Z-axis can be applied toslider SL4. Incidentally, in the description below, a drive mechanism(an actuator) configured by the magnet pole unit and the armature unitdescribed above will be referred to as an “alignment system motor”.

Secondary alignment system AL2₃ placed on the +X side of secondaryalignment system AL2₄ is configured in a similar manner as secondaryalignment system AL2₄ described above, and slider SL3 is also structuredalmost the same as slider SL4. Further, between slider SL3 and FIAsurface plate 102, a drive mechanism (an alignment system motor) as inthe drive mechanism previously described is provided.

When driving (adjusting the position of) secondary alignment systemsAL2₄ and AL2₃, main controller 20 supplies gas to the static gasbearings previously described, and by forming a predetermined clearancebetween sliders SL4 and SL3 and FIA surface plate 102, makes sliders SL4and SL3 move into the floating state described above. Then, bycontrolling the electric current supplied to the armature unitconfiguring each of the alignment system motors based on the measurementvalues of the measurement devices (not shown in a state maintaining thefloating state, main controller 20 finely drives slider SL4 (secondaryalignment system AL2₄) and slider SL3 (secondary alignment system AL2₃)in the X-axis, the Y-axis and the θz directions.

Referring back to FIG. 13, secondary alignment systems AL2₁ and AL2₂also have a configuration like secondary alignment systems AL2₃ and AL2₄described above, while slider SL2 has a configuration in symmetry withslider SL3 described above, and slider SL1 has a configuration insymmetry with slider SL4 described above. Further, the configuration ofFIA surface plate 302 is in symmetry with the configuration of FIAsurface plate 102 described above.

Next, a configuration of fine movement stage position measurement system70A (refer to FIG. 3) used to measure the positional information of finemovement stage WFS1 or WFS2 (configuring wafer stage WST1), which ismovably held by coarse movement stage WCS1 in exposure station. 200,will be described. In this case, the case will be described where finemovement stage position measurement system 70A measures the positionalinformation of fine movement stage WFS1.

As shown in FIG. 1, fine movement stage position measurement system 70Ais equipped with an arm member (a measurement arm 71A) which is insertedin a space inside coarse movement stage WCS1 in a state where waferstage WST1 is placed below projection optical system PL. Measurement arm71A is supported cantilevered (the vicinity of one end is supported)from main frame BD of exposure apparatus 100 via a support section 72A.Incidentally, in the case a configuration is employed where the arm(measurement) members do not interfere with the movement of the waferstage, the configuration is not limited to the cantilever support, andboth ends in the longitudinal direction can be supported. Further, thearm member should be located further below (the −Z side) grating RG (theplacement plane substantially parallel to the XY plane) previouslydescribed, and for example, can be placed lower than the upper surfaceof base board 12. Furthermore, while the arm member was to be supportedby main frame BD, for example, the arm member can be installed on aninstallation surface (such as a floor surface) via a vibration isolationmechanism. In this case, it is desirable to arrange a measuring devicewhich measures a relative positional relation between main frame BD andthe arm member. The arm member can also be referred to as a metrologyarm or a measurement member.

Measurement arm 71A is a square column shaped (that is, a rectangularsolid shape) member having a longitudinal rectangular cross sectionwhose longitudinal direction is in the Y-axis direction and size in aheight direction (the Z-axis direction) is larger than the size in awidth direction (the X-axis direction), and is made of a material whichis the same that transmits light, such as, for example, a glass memberaffixed in plurals. Measurement arm 71A is formed solid, except for theportion where the encoder head (an optical system) which will bedescribed later is housed. In the state where wafer stage WST1 is placedbelow projection optical system PL as previously described, the tip ofmeasurement arm 71A is inserted into the space of coarse movement stageWCS1, and its upper surface faces the lower surface (to be more precise,the lower surface of main body section 81 (not shown in FIG. 1, refer toFIG. 2A) of fine movement stage WFS1 as shown in FIG. 1. The uppersurface of measurement arm 71A is placed almost parallel with the lowersurface of fine movement stage WFS1, in a state where a predeterminedclearance, such as, for example, around several mm, is formed with thelower surface of fine movement stage WFS1. Incidentally, the clearancebetween the upper surface of measurement arm 71A and the lower surfaceof fine movement stage WFS can be more than or less than several mm.

As shown in FIG. 3, fine movement stage position measurement system 70Ais equipped with encoder system 73 which measures the position of finemovement stage WFS1 in the X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, andthe θz direction, and laser interferometer system 75 which measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Z-axis direction, the exdirection, and the θy direction. Encoder system 73 includes an X linearencoder 73 x measuring the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theX-axis direction, and a pair of Y linear encoders 73 ya and 73 yb(hereinafter, also appropriately referred to together as Y linearencoder 73 y) measuring the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in theY-axis direction. In encoder system 73, a head of a diffractioninterference type is used that has a configuration similar to an encoderhead (hereinafter shortly referred to as a head) disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 7,238,931, and PCT International Publication No.2007/083758 (the corresponding U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2007/288121). However, in the embodiment, a light source and aphotodetection system (including a photodetector) of the head are placedexternal to measurement arm 71A as in the description later on, and onlyan optical system is placed inside measurement arm 71A, or morespecifically, facing grating RG. Hereinafter, the optical system placedinside measurement arm 71A will be referred to as a head, besides thecase when specifying is especially necessary.

FIG. 14A shows a tip of measurement arm 71A in a perspective view, andFIG. 14B shows an upper surface of the tip of measurement arm 71A in aplanar view when viewed from the +Z direction. Encoder system 73measures the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the X-axisdirection using one X head 77 x (refer to FIGS. 15A and 15B), and theposition in the Y-axis direction using a pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb(refer to FIG. 15B). More specifically, X linear encoder 73 x previouslydescribed is configured by X head 77 x which measures the position offine movement stage WFS1 in the X-axis direction using an X diffractiongrating of grating RG, and the pair of Y linear encoders 73 ya and 73 ybis configured by the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb which measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction using a Ydiffraction grating of grating RG.

As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, X head 77 x irradiates measurement beamsLBx₁ and LBx₂ (indicated by a solid line in FIG. 14A) on grating RG fromtwo points (refer to the white circles in FIG. 14B) on a straight lineLX parallel to the X-axis that are at an equal distance from a centerline CL of measurement arm 71A. Measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ areirradiated on the same irradiation point on grating RG (refer to FIG.15A). The irradiation point of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂, that is,a detection point of X head 77 x (refer to reference code DP in FIG.14B) coincides with an exposure position which is the center of anirradiation area (exposure area) IA of illumination light IL irradiatedon wafer W (refer to FIG. 1). Incidentally, while measurement beams LBx₁and LBx₂ are actually refracted at a boundary and the like of main bodysection 81 and an atmospheric layer, it is shown simplified in FIG. 15Aand the like.

As shown in FIG. 15B, each of the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb areplaced on the +X side and the −X side of center line CL of measurementarm 71A. As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, Y head 77 ya is placed on astraight line LYa which is parallel to the Y-axis, and irradiatesmeasurement beams LBya₁ and LBya₂ that are each shown by a broken linein FIG. 14A on a common irradiation point on grating RG from two points(refer to the white circles in FIG. 14B) which are distanced equallyfrom straight line LX. The irradiation point of measurement beams LBya₁and LBya₂, that is, a detection point of Y head 77 ya is shown byreference code DPya in FIG. 14B.

Similar to Y head 77 ya, Y head 77 yb is placed on a straight line LYbwhich is located the same distance away from center line CL ofmeasurement arm 71A as straight line LYa and is parallel to the Y-axis,and irradiates measurement beams LByb₁ and LByb₂ on a common irradiationpoint DPyb on grating RG from two points (refer to the white circles inFIG. 14B) which are distanced equally from straight line LX. As shown inFIG. 14B, detection points DPya and DPyb of each of the measurementbeams LBya₁ and LBya₂, and measurement beams LByb₁ and LByb₂ are placedon straight line LX which is parallel to the X-axis. Now, in maincontroller 20, the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axisdirection is determined, based on an average of the measurement valuesof the two Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb. Accordingly, in the embodiment, theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axis direction is measuredwith a midpoint of detection points DPya and DPyb serving as asubstantial measurement point. And, the midpoint of detection pointsDPya and DPyb according to Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb coincides withirradiation point DP of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBX₂ on grating RG.More specifically, in the embodiment, there is a common detection pointregarding measurement of positional information of fine movement stageWFS1 in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and thisdetection point coincides with the exposure position, which is thecenter of irradiation area (exposure area) IA of illumination light ILirradiated on wafer W. Accordingly, in the embodiment, by using encodersystem 73, main controller 20 can constantly perform measurement of thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 in the XY plane,directly under (at the back side of fine movement stage WFS1) theexposure position when transferring a pattern of reticle R on apredetermined shot area of wafer W mounted on fine movement stage WFS1.Further, main controller 20 measures a rotational amount of finemovement stage WFS in the θz direction, based on a difference of themeasurement values of the pair of Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb, which areplaced apart in the X-axis direction and measure the position of finemovement stage WFS in the Y-axis direction, respectively.

A configuration of three heads 77 x, 77 ya, and 77 yb which configuresencoder system 73 will now be described. FIG. 15A representatively showsa rough configuration of X head 77 x, which represents three heads 77 x,77 ya, and 77 yb. Further, FIG. 15B shows a placement of each of the Xhead 77 x, and Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb within measurement arm 71A.

As shown in FIG. 15A, X head 77 x is equipped with a polarization beamsplitter PBS whose separation plane is parallel to the YZ plane, a pairof reflection mirrors R1a and R1b, lenses L2a and L2b, quarterwavelength plates (hereinafter, described as 214 plates) WP1a and WP1b,refection mirrors R2a and R2b, and refection mirrors R3a and R3b and thelike, and these optical elements are placed in a predeterminedpositional relation. Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb also have an optical systemwith a similar structure. As shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, X head 77 x, Yheads 77 ya and 77 yb are unitized and each fixed inside of measurementarm 71A.

As shown in FIG. 15B, in X head 77 x (X encoder 73 x), a laser beam LBx₀is emitted in the −Z direction from a light source LDx provided on theupper surface (or above) at the end on the −Y side of measurement arm71A, and its optical path is bent to become parallel with the Y-axisdirection via a reflection surface RP which is provided on a part ofmeasurement arm 71A inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect tothe XY plane. This laser beam LBx₀ travels through the solid sectioninside measurement arm 71 in parallel with the longitudinal direction(the Y-axis direction) of measurement arm 71A, and reaches reflectionmirror R3a shown in FIG. 15A. Then, the optical path of laser beamLBx_(o) is bent by reflection mirror R3a and is incident on polarizationbeam splitter PBS. Laser beam LBx_(o) is split by polarization bypolarization beam splitter PBS into two measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂.Measurement beam LBx₁ having been transmitted through polarization beamsplitter PBS reaches grating RG formed on fine movement stage WFS1, viareflection mirror R1a, and measurement beam LBx₂ reflected offpolarization beam splitter PBS reaches grating RG via reflection mirrorRib. Incidentally, “split by polarization” in this case means thesplitting of an incident beam into a P-polarization component and anS-polarization component.

Predetermined-order diffraction beams that are generated from grating RGdue to irradiation of measurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂, such as, forexample, the first-order diffraction beams are severally converted intoa circular polarized light by λ/4 plates WP1a and WP1b via lenses L2aand L2b, and reflected by reflection mirrors R2a and R2b and then thebeams pass through ?/4 plates WP1a and WP1b again and reach polarizationbeam splitter PBS by tracing the same optical path in the reverseddirection.

Each of the polarization directions of the two first-order diffractionbeams that have reached polarization beam splitter PBS is rotated at anangle of 90 degrees with respect to the original direction. Therefore,the first-order diffraction beam of measurement beam LBx₁ having passedthrough polarization beam splitter PBS first, is reflected offpolarization beam splitter PBS. The first-order diffraction beam ofmeasurement beam LBx₂ having been reflected off polarization beamsplitter PBS first, passes through polarization beam splitter PBS.Accordingly, the first-order diffraction beams of each of themeasurement beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ are coaxially synthesized as a syntheticbeam LBx₁₂. Synthetic beam LBx₁₂ has its optical path bent by reflectionmirror R3b so it becomes parallel to the Y-axis, travels insidemeasurement arm 71A parallel to the Y-axis, and then is sent to an Xphotodetection system 74 x provided on the upper surface (or above) atthe end on the −Y side of measurement arm 71A shown in FIG. 15B viareflection surface RP previously described.

In X photodetection system 74 x, the polarization direction of thefirst-order diffraction beams of beams LBx₁ and LBx₂ synthesized assynthetic beam LBx₁₂ is arranged by a polarizer (analyzer) (not shown)and the beams overlay each other so as to form an interference light,which is detected by the photodetector and is converted into an electricsignal in accordance with the intensity of the interference light. Whenfine movement stage WFS1 moves in the measurement direction (in thiscase, the X-axis direction) here, a phase difference between the twobeams changes, which changes the intensity of the interference light.This change of the intensity of the interference light is supplied tomain controller 20 (refer to FIG. 3) as positional information relatedto the X-axis direction of fine movement stage WFS1.

As shown in FIG. 15B, laser beams LBya₀ and LByb₀, which are emittedfrom light sources LDya and LDyb, respectively, and whose optical pathsare bent by an angle of 90 degrees so as to become parallel to theY-axis by reflection surface RP previously described, are incident on Yheads 77 ya and 77 yb, and similar to the previous description,synthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂ of the first-order diffraction beamsby grating RG (Y diffraction grating) of each of the measurement beamssplit by polarization by the polarization beam splitter are output fromY heads 77 ya and 77 yb, respectively, and return to Y photodetectionsystems 74 ya and 74 yb. Now, laser beams LBya_(o) and LByb₀ emittedfrom light sources LDya and LDyb, and synthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂returning to Y photodetection systems 74 ya and 74 yb, each pass anoptical path which are overlaid in a direction perpendicular to the pagesurface of FIG. 15B. Further, as described above, in Y heads 77 ya and77 yb, optical paths are appropriately bent (omitted in drawings) insideso that laser beams LBya₀ and LByb₀ irradiated from the light source andsynthetic beams LBya₁₂ and LByb₁₂ returning to Y photodetection systems74 ya and 74 yb pass optical paths which are parallel and distancedapart in the Z-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 14A, laser interferometer system 75 makes threemeasurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ enter the lower surface of finemovement stage WFS1 from the tip of measurement arm 71. Laserinterferometer system 75 is equipped with three laser interferometers 75a to 75 c (refer to FIG. 3) that irradiate three measurement beams LBz₁,LBz₂, and LBz₃, respectively.

In laser interferometer system 75, three measurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂,and LBz₃ are emitted in parallel with the Z-axis from each of the threepoints that are not collinear on the upper surface of measurement arm71A, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B. Now, as shown in FIG. 14B, threemeasurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ are each irradiated frompositions which are the apexes of an isosceles triangle (or anequilateral triangle) whose centroid coincides with the exposure areawhich is the center of irradiation area (exposure area) IA. In thiscase, the outgoing point (irradiation point) of measurement beam LBz₃ islocated on center line CL, and the outgoing points (irradiation points)of the remaining measurement beams LBz₁ and LBz₂ are equidistant fromcenter line CL. In the embodiment, main controller 20 measures theposition in the Z-axis direction, the rotational amount in the θxdirection and the θy direction of fine movement stage WFS1, using laserinterferometer system 75. Incidentally, laser interferometers 75 a to 75c are provided on the upper surface (or above) at the end on the −Y sideof measurement arm 71A. Measurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂, and LBz₃ emittedin the −Z direction from laser interferometers 75 a to 75 c travelwithin measurement arm 71 along the Y-axis direction via reflectionsurface RP previously described, and each of their optical paths is bentso that the beams are emitted from the three points described above.

In the embodiment, on the lower surface of fine movement stage WFS1, awavelength selection filter (omitted in drawings) which transmits eachmeasurement beam from encoder system 73 and blocks the transmission ofeach measurement beam from laser interferometer system 75 is provided.In this case, the wavelength selection filter also serves as areflection surface of each of the measurement beams from laserinterferometer system 75. As the wavelength selection filter, a thinfilm and the like having wavelength-selectivity is used, and in theembodiment, the filter is provided, for example, on one surface of thetransparent plate (main body section 81), and grating RG is placed onthe wafer holder side with respect to the one surface.

As it can be seen from the description so far, main controller 20 canmeasure the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in directions of sixdegrees of freedom by using encoder system 73 and laser interferometersystem 75 of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A. Inthis case, since the optical path lengths of the measurement beams areextremely short and also are almost equal to each other in encodersystem 73, the influence of air fluctuation can mostly be ignored.Accordingly, by encoder system 73, positional information (including theθz direction) of fine movement stage WFS1 within the XY plane can bemeasured with high accuracy. Further, because the substantial detectionpoints on the grating in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis directionby encoder system 73 and detection points on the lower surface of finemovement stage WFS lower surface in the Z-axis direction by laserinterferometer system 75 coincide with the center (exposure position) ofexposure area IA, respectively, generation of the so-called Abbe erroris suppressed to a substantially ignorable degree. Accordingly, by usingfine movement stage position measurement system 70A, main controller 20can measure the position of fine movement stage WFS1 in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction with highprecision, without any Abbe errors. Further, in the case coarse movementstage WCS1 is below projection unit PU and fine movement stage WFS2 ismovably supported by coarse movement stage WCS1, by using fine movementstage position measurement system 70A, main controller 20 can measurethe position in directions of six degrees of freedom of fine movementstage WFS2 and especially the position of fine movement stage WFS2 inthe X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction canbe measured with high precision, without any Abbe errors.

Further, fine movement stage position measurement system 70B whichmeasurement station 300 is equipped with, is configured similar to finemovement stage position measurement system 70A, but in a symmetricmanner, as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, measurement arm 71B which finemovement stage position measurement system 70B is equipped with has alongitudinal direction in the Y-axis direction, and the vicinity of theend on the +Y side is supported almost cantilevered from main frame BD,via support member 72B.

In the case coarse movement stage WCS2 is below aligner 99 and finemovement stage WFS2 or WFS1 is movably supported by coarse movementstage WCS2, by using fine movement stage position measurement system70B, main controller 20 can measure the position in directions of sixdegrees of freedom of fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 and especiallythe position of fine movement stage WFS2 or WFS1 in the X-axisdirection, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction can bemeasured with high precision, without any Abbe errors.

Next, a configuration and the like of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C (refer to FIG. 3), which is used to measurepositional information when fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 aredelivered from coarse movement stage WCS2 placed in measurement station300 to coarse movement stage WCS1 placed in exposure station 200, willbe described. As shown in FIG. 3, fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C includes encoder system 78 and laserinterferometer system 79. FIG. 16 shows a partially omitted view ofexposure apparatus 100 when viewed from above (the +Z direction). Asshown in FIG. 16, encoder system 78 (refer to FIG. 3) has a pair of headunits 98A and 98B extending in the Y-axis direction installed betweenexposure station 200 and measurement station 300. Although illustrationof head units 98A and 98B is omitted in FIG. 16 and the like from theviewpoint of avoiding intricacy of the drawings, in actual practice, thehead units are fixed to main frame BID previously described in asuspended state via a support member.

Incidentally, in the state shown in FIG. 16, fine movement stage WFS1(wafer stage WST1) is located at a measurement limit position in the +Ydirection of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A. Morespecifically, when fine movement stage WFS1 moves further to the +Ydirection from the state shown in FIG. 16, irradiation points ofmeasurement beams LBx₁, LBx₂, LBya₁, LBya₂, LByb₁, and LByb₂ (refer toFIG. 14A) emitted from measurement arm 71A move off from grating RGplaced at fine movement stage WFS1 while measurement beams LBz₁, LBz₂,and LBz₃ (refer to FIG. 14A) move off from the rear surface (reflectionsurface) of fine movement stage WFS, which makes position measurement offine movement stage WFS1 by fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70A no longer possible. Further, in FIG. 16, fine movement stageWFS2 (wafer stage WST2) is located at a measurement limit position inthe −Y direction of fine movement stage position measurement system 70B.More specifically, when fine movement stage WFS2 moves further to the −Ydirection from the state shown in FIG. 16, position measurement of finemovement stage WFS2 by fine movement stage position measurement system70B is no longer possible, similar to the case described above.

As shown in FIG. 16, head units 98A and 98B are placed symmetricallywith respect to reference axis LV, on the +X side and −X side ofreference axis LV. Head units 98A and 98B are each equipped with aplurality of (in this case, 11) Y heads 96 _(i) and 97 _(j) (i, j=1 to11), which are placed at a distance WD in the Y-axis direction,symmetrically with respect to reference axis LV. Hereinafter, Y heads 96_(j) and 97 _(i) will also be described as Y heads 96 and 97,respectively, as necessary.

The spacing of head unit 98A and head unit 98B in the X-axis directionapproximately coincides with the spacing of two Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂in the X-axis direction placed at fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2,respectively, and at a position (hereinafter referred to as a centeringposition) where the center of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2coincides with reference axis LV as shown in FIG. 16, head units 98A and98B respectively face Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂. The spacing in the Z-axisdirection between each of the Y heads 96 and 97 configuring head units98A and 98B and Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ it is set to around several mm.

Head unit 98A constitutes a multiple-lens (eleven-lens, in this case) Ylinear encoder (hereinafter, shortly referred to as a “Y encoder” or an“encoder” as appropriate) that measures the position of each of the finemovement stages WFS1 and WFS2 in the Y-axis direction (Y position),using Y scale 87Y₁ previously described. Similarly, head unit 98Bconstitutes a multiple-lens (eleven-lens, in this case) Y encoder thatmeasures the position of each of the fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2in the Y-axis direction, using Y scale 87Y₂ previously described.

In this case, distance WD of the adjacent Y heads 96 and 97 (to be moreaccurate, projection points of the measurement beams irradiated by Yheads 96 and 97 on the Y scale) that head units 98A and 98B are eachequipped with, is set to half or less than half the length of Y scales87Y₁ and 87Y₂ in the Y-axis direction. Accordingly, when fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2 move straight in the Y-axis direction, of the 11 Yheads 96 ₁ to 96 ₁₁ configuring head unit 98A, two heads (or three headsin some cases) face Y scale 87Y₁, and of the 11 Y heads 97 ₁ to 97 ₁₁configuring head unit 98B, two heads (or three heads in some cases) faceY scale 87Y₂. Incidentally, of each of the eleven Y heads 96 and 97, twoeach of the Y heads, 96 ₁, 96 ₂, 97 ₁, and 97 ₂ positioned at ends onthe −Y side, are placed within the measurable range (within exposurestation 200) of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A,while two each of the Y heads, 96 ₁₀, 96 ₁₁, 97 ₁₀, and 97 ₁₁ positionedat ends on the +Y side, are placed within the measurable range (withinmeasurement station 300) of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B.

Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 16, two each of the Y heads, 96 ₁, 96 ₂,97 ₁, and 97 ₂ face Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ of fine movement stage WFS1,respectively, in a state where fine movement stage WFS1 is positioned atthe measurement limit position in the +Y direction of fine movementstage position measurement system 70A, while two each of the Y heads, 96₁₀, 96 ₁₁, 97 ₁₀, and 97 ₁₁ face Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ of fine movementstage WFS2, respectively, in a state where fine movement stage WFS2 ispositioned at the measurement limit position in the −Y direction of finemovement stage position measurement system 70B. In other words, a partof the measurable range of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70C of the embodiment overlaps a part of the measurable range ofeach of the fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and70B.

Encoder system 78, or more specifically, (the Y encoders configured by)head unit 98A and head unit 98B described above, measure positioncoordinates of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 at a resolution of,for example, around 0.1 nm, and the measurement values are supplied tomain controller 20. Main controller 20 controls the position in theY-axis direction and rotation in the θz direction of wafer stages WST1and WST2, based on the measurement values of head unit 98A and head unit98B.

Further, each of the Y heads 96 and 97 configuring head unit 98A andhead unit 98B can also measure positional information of Y scales 87Y₁and 87Y₂ in the Z-axis direction, or more specifically, the positionalinformation of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the Z-axisdirection. Now, as an example, each of the Y heads 96 and 97 is tomeasure the positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)in the Z-axis direction, based on an intensity change of reflectedlights (diffraction lights) from Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ of themeasurement beam. In encoder system 78 of the embodiment, at least two Yheads 96 of head unit 98A and at least two Y heads 97 of head unit 98Bface Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂, respectively, and positional information inthe Z-axis direction of the wafer surface is measured at four places andthen the measurement values are supplied to main controller 20. Maincontroller 20 controls the position in the Z-axis direction and therotation in the θx and θy directions of fine movement stages WFS1 andWFS2, based on the measurement values of the plurality of Y heads.Incidentally, means for measuring the positional information of finemovement stages WFS1 and WFS2 in the Z-axis direction is not limited tothis, and for example, in the vicinity of each of the Y heads 96 and 97,Z heads (more specifically, 22) can be placed, separately from Y heads96 and 97, and the position in the Z-axis direction and the rotation inthe θx and θy directions of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 can becontrolled by these Z heads. As a Z head, for example, a head of anoptical displacement sensor similar to an optical pickup used in a CDdrive device and the like can be used.

Next, a configuration and the like of laser interferometer system 79(refer to FIG. 3) which configures fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C will be described. As shown in FIG. 16, laserinterferometer system 79 has a pair of laser interferometers 76 a and 76b placed further to the −Y side than exposure station 200, and a pair oflaser interferometers 76 c and 76 d placed further to the +Y side thanmeasurement station 300. The pair of laser interferometers 76 a and 76 bis placed symmetrically with respect to reference axis LV, on the +Xside and −X side of reference axis LV, and irradiates measurement beamsB1 and B2 parallel to the Y-axis on reflection surfaces 88 d and 88 c offine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), respectively. Measurement beams B1and B2 are reflected, for example, at fixed mirrors 47A and 47B fixed tomain frame BD (refer to FIG. 1) via reflection surfaces 88 d and 88 c,respectively. By receiving each of the reflected lights, laserinterferometers 76 a and 76 b measure each of the optical path lengthsof measurement beams B1 and B2. Main controller 20 computes the positionof fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the X-axis direction, using themeasurement results. Further, the pair of laser interferometers 76 c and76 d is placed symmetrically with respect to reference axis LV, on the+X side and −x side of reference axis LV, and irradiates measurementbeams B3 and B4 parallel to the Y-axis on reflection surfaces 88 b and88 a of fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1), respectively. Measurementbeams B3 and B4 are reflected, for example, at fixed mirrors 47C and 47Dfixed to main frame BD via reflection surfaces 88 b and 88 a,respectively. By receiving each of the reflected lights, laserinterferometers 76 c and 76 d measure each of the optical path lengthsof measurement beams B3 and B4. Main controller 20 computes the positionof fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) in the X-axis direction, using themeasurement results.

Next, a configuration and the like of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70D (refer to FIG. 3), which is used to measurepositional information (including positional information in the θzdirection) within the XY plane when fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2are delivered from coarse movement stage WCS1 to coarse movement stageWCS2, will be described.

FIG. 17 shows a partially omitted view of exposure apparatus 100 whenviewed from above (the +Z direction). Incidentally, in FIG. 17,illustration of one of the two fine movement stages (in this case, finemovement stage WFS2), and laser interferometers 76 a and 76 b previouslydescribed configuring fine movement stage position measurement system70C, is omitted.

Fine movement stage position measurement system 70D includes a pair of Ylaser interferometers 69Ya and 69Yb, and a pair of X laserinterferometers 69Xa and 69Xb, shown in FIG. 17. Y laser interferometer69Ya and X laser interferometer 69Xa are each placed below (on the −Zside) laser interferometer 76 a previously described (drawing omitted inFIG. 17, refer to FIG. 16). Y laser interferometer 69Yb and X laserinterferometer 69Xb are each placed below (on the −Z side) laserinterferometer 76 b previously described (drawing omitted in FIG. 17,refer to FIG. 16). In this case, an optical path of each of themeasurement beams (to be described later) of Y laser interferometers69Ya and 69Yb, and X laser interferometers 69Xa and 69Xb are placed onapproximately the same XY plane.

Y laser interferometers 69Ya and 69Yb are placed symmetrically withrespect to reference axis LV, on the +X side and the −X side ofreference axis LV, and irradiate measurement beams Bya and Byb which areparallel to the Y-axis on reflection surface 61 of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2), and receive the reflected lights so as to measure theoptical path length of each of the measurement beams Bya and Byb. Maincontroller 20 computes the position of fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) in the Y-axis direction and the θz direction, using themeasurement results.

Further, X laser interferometers 69Xa and 69Xb are placed symmetricallywith respect to reference axis LV, on the +X side and the −X side of Ylaser interferometers 69Ya and 69Yb, and irradiate measurement beams Bxaand Bxb which are parallel to the Y-axis on movable mirrors 63 a and 63b of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2). Now, when fine movement stagesWFS1 and WFS2 are delivered from coarse movement stage WCS1 to coarsemovement stage WCS2 via relay stage DRST, fine movement stages WFS1 andWFS2 are to move inside a space formed in coarse movement stage WCS1,relay stage DRST, and coarse movement stage WCS2, respectively (refer toFIGS. 24A to 24D), as it will be described later on. On this movement,measurement beams Bxa and Bxb reflected by movable mirrors 63 and 63 b,respectively, are reflected off reflection surfaces formed on sidesurfaces (inner side surfaces) that face each other of side wallsections 92 a and 92 b of coarse movement stage WCS1, relay stage DRST,and coarse movement stage WCS2. X laser interferometers 69Xa and 69Xbreceive the reflected lights of measurement beams Bxa and Bxb viamovable mirrors 63 a and 63 b of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2),respectively, and measure the optical path lengths of each of themeasurement beams Bxa and Bxb. Main controller 20 computes the positionof fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the X-axis direction, using themeasurement results. Incidentally, in the embodiment, while the positionof fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the X-axis direction iscomputed using the optical path lengths of the two measurement beams Bxaand Bxb, as well as this, for example, the position of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the X-axis direction can be computed using adifference between the optical path lengths of measurement beams Bxa andBya. In this case, one X laser interferometer is acceptable.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment structured in the mannerdescribed above, when manufacturing a device, exposure by thestep-and-scan method is performed on wafer W held by one of the finemovement stages (in this case, WFS1, as an example) held by coarsemovement stage WCS1 located in exposure station 200, and a pattern ofreticle R is transferred on each of a plurality of shot areas on waferW. The exposure operation by this step-and scan method is performed bymain controller 20, by repeating a movement operation between shots inwhich wafer stage WST1 is moved to a scanning starting position (anacceleration starting position) for exposure of each shot area on waferW, and a scanning exposure operation in which a pattern formed onreticle R is transferred onto each of the shot areas by the scanningexposure method, based on results of wafer alignment (for example,information on array coordinates of each shot area on wafer W obtainedby enhanced global alignment (EGA) that has been converted into acoordinate which uses the second fiducial marks as a reference) that hasbeen performed beforehand, and results of reticle alignment and thelike. Incidentally, the exposure operation described above is performed,in a state where liquid Lq is held in a space between tip lens 191 andwafer W, or more specifically, by liquid immersion exposure. Further,exposure is performed in the following order, from the shot area locatedon the +Y side on wafer W to the shot area located on the −Y side.Incidentally, details on EGA are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat.No. 4,780,617 and the like.

In exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, during the series ofexposure operations described above, main controller 20 measures theposition of fine movement stage WFS1 (wafer W) using fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A, and the position of wafer W iscontrolled based on the measurement results.

Incidentally, while wafer W has to be scanned with high acceleration inthe Y-axis direction at the time of scanning exposure operationdescribed above, in exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, maincontroller 20 scans wafer W in the Y-axis direction by driving (refer tothe black arrow in FIG. 18A) only fine movement stage WFS1 in the Y-axisdirection (and in directions of the other five degrees of freedom, ifnecessary), without driving coarse movement stage WCS1 in principle atthe time of scanning exposure operation as shown in FIG. 18A. This isbecause when moving only fine movement stage WFS1, weight of the driveobject is lighter when comparing with the case where coarse movementstage WCS1 is driven, which allows an advantage of being able to drivewafer W with high acceleration. Further, because position measuringaccuracy of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A ishigher than wafer stage position measurement system 16A as previouslydescribed, it is advantageous to drive fine movement stage WFS1 at thetime of scanning exposure. Incidentally, at the time of this scanningexposure, coarse movement stage WCS1 is driven to the opposite side offine movement stage WFS1 by an operation of a reaction force (refer tothe outlined arrow in FIG. 18A) by the drive of fine movement stageWFS1. More specifically, because coarse movement stage WCS1 functions asa countermass, momentum of the system consisting of the entire waferstage WST1 is conserved, and centroid shift does not occur,inconveniences such as unbalanced load acting on base board 12 by thescanning drive of fine movement stage WFS1 do not occur.

Meanwhile, when movement (stepping) operation between shots in theX-axis direction is performed, because movement capacity in the X-axisdirection of fine movement stage WFS1 is small, main controller 20 moveswafer W in the X-axis direction by driving coarse movement stage WCS1 inthe X-axis direction as shown in FIG. 18B.

In parallel with exposure to wafer W on fine movement stage WFS1described above, wafer exchange, wafer alignment, and the like areperformed on the other fine movement stage WFS2. Wafer exchange isperformed, by unloading wafer W which has been exposed from above finemovement stage WFS2 by a wafer carrier system (not shown), as well asloading a new wafer Won fine movement stage WFS2 when coarse movementstage WCS2 supporting fine movement stage WFS2 is at a wafer exchangeposition in the vicinity of measurement station 300. Here, at the waferexchange position, a decompression chamber (decompressed space) formedby a wafer holder (omitted in drawings) of fine movement stage WFS2 andthe back surface of wafer W is connected to a vacuum pump via an exhaustpipe line (not shown) and piping, and by main controller 20 making thevacuum pump operate, gas inside the decompression chamber is exhaustedoutside via the exhaust pipe line and the piping, which creates anegative pressure within the decompression chamber and starts thesuction of wafer W by the wafer holder. And when the inside of thedecompression chamber reaches a predetermined pressure (negativepressure), main controller 20 suspends the vacuum pump. When the vacuumpump is suspended, the exhaust pipe line is closed by an action of acheck valve (not shown). Accordingly, the decompressed state of thedecompression chamber is maintained, and wafer W is held by the waferholder even if tubes and the like used to suction the gas in thedecompression chamber by vacuum are not connected to fine movement stageWFS2. This allows fine movement stage WFS2 to be separated from thecoarse movement stage and to be carried without any problems.

On wafer alignment, first of all, main controller 20 drives finemovement stage WFS2 so as to position measurement plate 86 on finemovement stage WFS2 right under primary alignment system ALL and detectsthe second fiducial mark using primary alignment system AL1. Then, asdisclosed in, for example, PCT International Publication No. 2007/097379(the corresponding U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0088843)and the like, for example, main controller 20 can move wafer stage WST2in the −Y direction and position wafer stage WST at a plurality ofpoints on the movement path, and each time the position is set, measures(obtains) positional information of the alignment marks in the alignmentshot area (sample shot area), using at least one of alignment systemsAL1, AL2₂, and AL2₃. For example, in the case of considering a casewhere positioning is performed four times, main controller 20, forexample, uses primary alignment system AL1 and secondary alignmentsystems AL2₂ and AL2₃ at the time of the first positioning to detectalignment marks (hereinafter also referred to as sample marks) in threesample shot areas, uses alignment systems AL1, and AL2₁ to AL2₄ at thetime of the second positioning to detect five sample marks on wafer W,uses alignment systems AL1, and AL2₁ to AL2₄ at the time of the thirdpositioning to detect five sample marks, and uses primary alignmentsystem AL1, and secondary alignment systems AL2₂ and AL2₃ at the time ofthe fourth positioning to detect three sample marks, respectively.Accordingly, positional information of alignment marks in a total of 16alignment shot areas can be obtained in a remarkably shorter period oftime, compared with the case where the 16 alignment marks aresequentially measured with a single alignment system. In this case, eachof alignment systems AL1, AL2₂ and AL2₃ detects a plurality of alignmentmarks (sample marks) arrayed along the Y-axis direction that aresequentially placed within the detection area (e.g. corresponding to theirradiation area of the detection light), corresponding with themovement operation of wafer stage WST2 described above. Therefore, onthe measurement of the alignment marks described above, it is notnecessary to move wafer stage WST in the X-axis direction.

In the embodiment, main controller 20 performs position measurementincluding the detection of the second fiducial marks, and in the case ofthe wafer alignment, performs position measurement of fine movementstage WFS2 in the XY plane supported by coarse movement stage WCS2 atthe time of the wafer alignment, using fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B including measurement arm 71B. However, besidesthis, wafer alignment can be performed while measuring the position ofwafer W via wafer stage position measurement system 16B previouslydescribed, in the case of performing the movement of fine movement stageWFS2 at the time of wafer alignment integrally with coarse movementstage WCS2. Further, because measurement station 300 and exposurestation 200 are arranged apart, the position of fine movement stage WFS2is controlled on different coordinate systems at the time of waferalignment and at the time of exposure. Therefore, main controller 20converts array coordinates of each shot area on wafer W acquired fromthe wafer alignment into array coordinates which are based on the secondfiducial marks.

While wafer alignment to wafer W held by fine movement stage WFS2 iscompleted in the manner described above, exposure of wafer W which isheld by fine movement stage WFS1 in exposure station 200 is still beingcontinued. FIGS. 19A and 27 show a positional relation of coarsemovement stages WCS1, WCS2 and relay stage DRST at the stage when waferalignment to wafer W has been completed.

Main controller 20 drives wafer stage WST2 by a predetermined distancein the −Y direction via coarse movement stage drive system 51B, as shownin an outlined arrow in FIGS. 19B and 28, and makes wafer stage WST2 bein contact or be in proximity by around 500 um to relay stage DRST whichis standing still at a predetermined waiting position (for example,substantially coincides with a center position between an optical axisAX of projection optical system PL and a detection center of primaryalignment system AL1). In this case, on moving wafer stage WST2 towardrelay stage DRST, main controller 20 switches the measurement systemmeasuring the positional information of wafer stage WST2 at themeasurement limit position (the position shown in FIG. 16) in the −Ydirection of fine movement stage position measurement system 70B(measurement arm 70B), from fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B to fine movement stage position measurement system 70C. Inthis case, in order to continuously link the position (positionmeasurement value) of wafer stage WST2 which is to be measured, maincontroller 20 resets the measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 700, using the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70B. More specifically, maincontroller 20 resets each of the measurement values of encoder heads (Yheads) 96 and 97 configuring encoder system 78 and laser interferometers76 c and 76 d configuring laser interferometer system 79 included infine movement stage position measurement system 70C, so that themeasurement values of fine movement stage position measurement system70C coincide with the measurement values of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70B. Hereinafter, main controller 20 moves waferstage WST2 in the −Y direction, while measuring the position(information) of wafer stage WST2 based on the measurement values (inFIG. 28, the measurement values of Y heads 96 ₁₀, 96 ₁₁, 97 ₁₀, and 97₁₁, and laser interferometers 76 c and 76 d) of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C. Incidentally, on this movement, maincontroller 20 can control the position of wafer stage WST2, based on themeasurement values of wafer stage position measurement system 16B.

In this case, the switching of the measurement system is not performedonly at the measurement limit position described above, and can also beperformed before the measurement limit position (before the movable bodysubject to measurement reaches the measurement limit position). In thiscase, linkage (associating) of measurement values can be performedwithin a measurement range of the two measurement systems that overlapeach other.

Next, main controller 20 controls the current flowing in Y drive coilsof fine movement stage drive systems 52B and 52C, and drives finemovement stage WFS2 in the −Y direction by a Lorentz force whilemeasuring the positional information of fine movement stage WFS2 basedon the measurement values of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 700 (in FIG. 29, Y heads 96 ₈, 96 ₉, 97 ₈, and 97 ₉, and laserinterferometers 76 c and 76 d), as is shown by the black arrow in FIGS.19C and 29, and moves fine movement stage WFS2 from coarse movementstage WCS2 onto relay stage DRST. FIGS. 19D and 30 show a state wherefine movement stage WFS2 has been moved and mounted on relay stage DRST.

Main controller 20 waits for the exposure to wafer W on fine movementstage WFS1 to be completed, in a state where relay stage DRST and coarsemovement stage WCS2 are waiting at a position shown in FIGS. 19D and 30.

FIG. 21 shows a state of wafer stage WST1 immediately after completingthe exposure.

Prior to the completion of exposure, main controller 20 drives auxiliarystage AST (blade BL) in the +X direction by a predetermined amount fromthe waiting position shown in FIG. 20 via auxiliary stage drive system58 (refer to FIG. 3) as is shown by an outlined arrow in FIG. 25A. Thispositions the tip of blade BL above measurement arm 71A, as shown inFIG. 25A. Then, main controller 20 waits for the exposure to becompleted in this state.

Then, when exposure has been completed, main controller 20 drivesauxiliary stage AST (blade BL) in the +X direction and the +Y directionvia auxiliary stage drive system 58, so as to make blade BL be incontact or in proximity in the Y-axis direction by a clearance of around300 μm to fine movement stage WFS1, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 25B. Morespecifically, main controller 20 begins to set blade BL and finemovement stage WFS1 to a scrum state. Then, main controller 20 drivesauxiliary stage AST (blade BL), furthermore in the +X direction. Then,when the center of blade BL coincides with the center of measurement arm71A, auxiliary stage AST (blade BL) is driven (refer to the outlinedarrow in FIGS. 22 and 26) in the +Y direction integrally with waferstage WST1, while the scrum state of blade BL and fine movement stageWFS1 is maintained, as shown in FIGS. 22 and 26. By this operation, theliquid immersion space formed by liquid Lq held between tip lens 191 andfine movement stage WFS1 is passed from fine movement stage WFS1 toblade BL. FIG. 22 shows a state just before the liquid immersion spaceformed by liquid Lq is passed from fine movement stage WFS1 to blade BL.In the state shown in FIG. 22, liquid Lq is held between tip lens 191,and fine movement stage WFS1 and blade BL. Incidentally, in the case ofdriving blade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 in proximity, it isdesirable to set a gap (clearance) between blade BL and fine movementstage WFS1 so as to prevent or to suppress leakage of liquid Lq. In thiscase, in proximity includes the case where the gap (clearance) betweenblade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 is zero, or in other words, thecase when both blade BL and fine movement stage WFS1 are in contact.

Then, when the liquid immersion space has been passed from fine movementstage WFS1 to blade BL, as shown in FIG. 23, coarse movement stage WCS1holding fine movement stage WFS1 comes into contact or in proximity by aclearance of around 500 μm to relay stage DRST waiting in a proximitystate with coarse movement stage WCS2, holding fine movement stage WFS2at the waiting position previously described. During the stage wherecoarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movement stage WFS1 moves in the+Y direction, main controller 20 inserts carrier member 48 of carrierapparatus 46 into the space of coarse movement stage WCS1, via carriermember drive system 54. Incidentally, when moving wafer stage WST2toward relay stage DRST, main controller 20 switches the measurementsystem measuring the positional information of wafer stage WST1 at themeasurement limit position (the position shown in FIG. 16) in the +Ydirection of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A(measurement arm 70A), from fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70A to fine movement stage position measurement system 70C. Inthis case, in order to continuously link the position (positionmeasurement value) of wafer stage WST1 which is to be measured, maincontroller 20 resets the measurement values of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C, using the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70A. More specifically, maincontroller 20 resets each of the measurement values of encoder heads (Yheads) 96 and 97 configuring encoder system 78 and laser interferometers76 a and 76 b configuring laser interferometer system 79 included infine movement stage position measurement system 70C, so that themeasurement values of fine movement stage position measurement system70C coincide with the measurement values of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A. Hereinafter, main controller 20 moves waferstage WST2 in the −Y direction, while measuring the position(information) of wafer stage WST2 based on the measurement values (inFIG. 16, the measurement values of Y heads 96 ₁, 96 ₂, 97 ₁, and 97 ₂,and laser interferometers 76 a and 76 b) of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C. Incidentally, on this movement, main controller20 can control the position of wafer stage WST1, based on themeasurement values of wafer stage position measurement system 16A.Incidentally, the switching of the measurement system is not performedonly at the measurement limit position described above, and can also beperformed before the measurement limit position. Further, in this case,linkage (associating) of measurement values can be performed within ameasurement range of the two measurement systems that overlap eachother.

And, at the point when coarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movementstage WFS1 comes into contact or in proximity to relay stage DRST, maincontroller 20 drives carrier member 48 upward so that fine movementstage WFS1 is supported from below.

And, in this state, main controller 20 releases the lock mechanism (notshown), and separates coarse movement stage WCS1 into the first sectionWCS1a and the second section WCS1b (refer to the outlined arrow in FIG.31), as shown in FIG. 31. By this operation, fine movement stage WFS1 isdetachable from coarse movement stage WCS1. Then, main controller 20drives carrier member 48 supporting fine movement stage WFS1 downward(in the −Z direction) perpendicularly to the XY plane, as is shown bythe outlined arrow in FIG. 24A. By this drive, measurement beams Bya andByb, and Bxa and Bxb from Y laser interferometers 69Ya and 69Yb and Xlaser interferometers 69Xa and 69Xb configuring fine movement stageposition measurement system 70D respectively begin to fall on reflectionsurface 61 and movable mirrors 63 a and 63 b of fine movement stageWFS1. Therefore, main controller 20 switches the measurement systemwhich measures the positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 inthe XY plane supported by the movable member of carrier member 48, fromfine movement stage position measurement system 70C to fine movementstage position measurement system 70D.

In this case, main controller 20 resets the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70D, using the measurementvalues of fine movement stage position measurement system 70C, andsecures the continuity of the position (position measurement value) ofwafer stage WST1 which is to be measured.

And then, main controller 20 locks the lock mechanism (not shown) afterthe first section WCS1a and the second section WCS1b are joinedtogether.

Now, in the state shown in FIG. 31 where fine movement stage WFS1 ishoused inside coarse movement stage WCS1 and fine movement stage WFS2 isalso supported by relay stage DRST, main controller 20 can measure thepositional information in the X-axis direction of fine movement stageWFS2 using laser interferometers 76 a and 76 b on the exposure station200 side, as well as measure the positional information in the X-axisdirection of fine movement stage WFS2 using laser interferometers 76 cand 76 d on the measurement station 300 side. In other words, in theembodiment, the size (length) and placement of the reflection surface offixed mirrors 47A to 47D are set so that the laser interferometers usedto measure the position of fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) in theX-axis direction can be switched in a state where fine movement stageWFS2 (or WFS1) is supported by relay stage DRST. Therefore, when finemovement stage WFS1 is driven downward in a state (waiting state) wherefine movement stage WFS2 is supported by relay stage DRST as shown inFIG. 31, corresponding to this, main controller 20 switches themeasurement system used to measure the positional information of finemovement stage WFS2 in the X-axis direction from laser interferometers76 c and 76 d to laser interferometers 76 a and 76 b. Incidentally, thepositional information of the fine movement stage in directions of theremaining five degrees of freedom is also continuously measured byencoder system 78. As is described, because laser interferometer system79 of the embodiment is configured so that the laser interferometer tobe used is switched from laser interferometers 76 c and 76 d placed inthe rear of the movement direction of movement stage WFS2 to laserinterferometers 76 a and 76 b placed in front of the movement directionof WFS2 depending on the position of fine movement stage WFS2, the sizeof each of the fixed mirrors 47A to 47D can be reduced.

Next, main controller 20 moves carrier member 48 which supports finemovement stage WFS1 from below to the inside of stage main section 44 ofrelay stage DRST. FIGS. 24B and 32 show the state where carrier member48 is being moved. The positional information (including the positionalinformation in the θz direction) in the XY plane of fine movement stageWFS1 at this point is measured by fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70D previously described (refer to FIG. 17).

Further, concurrently with the movement of carrier member 48, maincontroller 20 controls the current flowing in the YZ coils of finemovement stage drive systems 52C and 52A based on measurement values(measurement values of Y heads 96 ₂, 96 ₃, 97 ₂, and 97 ₃ (or Y heads 96₁, 96 ₂, 97 ₁, and 97 ₂) and laser interferometers 76 a and 76 b in FIG.32) of fine movement stage position measurement system 70C, and drivesfine movement stage WFS2 in the −Y direction as is shown by the blackarrow in FIGS. 24B and 32 by a Lorentz force, and moves (a slidemovement) fine movement stage WFS2 from relay stage DRST onto coarsemovement stage WCS1.

Further, after housing the carrier member main section of carrier member48 into the space of relay stage DRST so that fine movement stage WFS1is completely housed in the space of relay stage DRST, main controller20 moves the movable member holding fine movement stage WFS1 in the +Ydirection on the carrier member main section (refer to the outlinedarrow in FIGS. 24C and 32).

Next, main controller 20 makes coarse movement stage WCS1 which holdsfine movement stage WFS2 move in the −Y direction based on themeasurement values of fine movement stage position measurement system70C, and delivers the liquid immersion space held with tip lens 191 fromblade BL to fine movement stage WFS2. The delivery of this liquidimmersion space (liquid Lq) is performed by reversing the procedure ofthe delivery of the liquid immersion area from fine movement stage WFS1to blade BL previously described. Incidentally, on this movement, maincontroller 20 can move coarse movement stage WCS1 in the −Y direction,based on the measurement values of wafer stage position measurementsystem 16A.

Further, on driving coarse movement stage WCS1 holding fine movementstage WFS2 in the −Y direction, main controller 20 switches themeasurement system measuring the positional information of fine movementstage WFS2 (wafer stage WST1) at the measurement limit position (theposition shown in FIG. 16) in the +Y direction of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A (measurement arm 70A), from finemovement stage position measurement system 70C to fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A. In this case, main controller 20 resetsthe measurement values of (encoders 73 x, 73 ya, and 73 yb and laserinterferometers 75 a, 75 b, and 75 c that configure) fine movement stageposition measurement system 70A, using the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70C, and secures thecontinuity of the position (position measurement value) of fine movementstage WFS2 which is to be measured. Then, main controller 20 driveswafer stage WST1 (coarse movement stage WCS1 and fine movement stageWFS2) in the −Y direction while measuring the positional information ofwafer W held by wafer stage WST2, based on the measurement values offine movement stage position measurement system 70A. Incidentally, theswitching of the measurement system is not performed only at themeasurement limit position described above, and can also be performedbefore the measurement limit position. Further, in this case, linkage(associating) of measurement values can be performed within ameasurement range of the two measurement systems that overlap eachother.

Then, prior to the beginning of exposure, main controller 20 performsreticle alignment in a procedure (a procedure disclosed in, for example,U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,413 and the like) similar to a normal scanningstepper, using the pair of reticle alignment systems RA1 and RA2previously described, and the pair of first fiducial marks onmeasurement plate 86 of fine movement stage WFS and the like. FIG. 24Dshows fine movement stage WFS2 during reticle alignment, along withcoarse movement stage WCS1 holding the fine movement stage. Then, maincontroller 20 performs exposure operation by the step-and-scan method,based on results of the reticle alignment and the results of the waferalignment (array coordinates which uses the second fiducial marks ofeach of the shot areas on wafer W), and transfers the pattern of reticleR on each of the plurality of shot areas on wafer W. As is obvious fromFIGS. 24E and 24F, in this exposure, fine movement stage WFS2 isreturned to the −Y side after reticle alignment, and then exposure isperformed in the order from shot areas on the +Y side on wafer W to theshot areas on the −Y side.

Concurrently with the delivery of the liquid immersion space, reticlealignment, and exposure described above, the following operations areperformed.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 24D, main controller 20 movescarrier member 48 holding fine movement stage WFS1 into the space ofcoarse movement stage WCS2, based on the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70D and wafer stage positionmeasurement system 16B. At this point, with the movement of carriermember 48, main controller 20 moves the movable member holding finemovement stage WFS1 on the carrier member main section in the +Ydirection.

Next, main controller 20 releases the lock mechanism (not shown), andseparates coarse movement stage WCS2 into the first section WCS2a andthe second section WCS2b, and also drives carrier member 48 holding finemovement stage WFS1 upward perpendicularly to the XY plane as is shownby the outlined arrow in FIG. 24E so that the pair of mover sectionsequipped in fine movement stage WFS1 are positioned at a height wherethe pair of mover sections are engageable with the pair of statorsections of coarse movement stage WCS2. By this movement, measurementbeams Bya and Byb, and Bxa and Bxb from Y laser interferometers 69Ya and69Yb and X laser interferometers 69Xa and 69Xb configuring fine movementstage position measurement system 70D no longer fall on fine movementstage WFS1. Therefore, main controller 20 switches the measurementsystem which measures the positional information of fine movement stageWFS1 in the XY plane, from fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70D to fine movement stage position measurement system 70C. Atthis point, main controller 20 resets the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70C, using the measurementvalues of fine movement stage position measurement system 70D, andsecures the continuity of the position (position measurement value) offine movement stage WFS1 which is to be measured.

And then, main controller 20 brings together the first section WCS2a andthe second section WCS2b of coarse movement stage WCS2. By this, finemovement stage WFS1 holding wafer W which has been exposed is supportedby coarse movement stage WCS2. Therefore, main controller 20 locks thelock mechanism (not shown).

Next, main controller 20 drives coarse movement stage WCS2 supportingfine movement stage WFS1 in the +Y direction as shown by the outlinedarrow in FIG. 24F, and moves coarse movement stage WCS2 to measurementstation 300.

Then, by main controller 20, on fine movement stage WFS1, waferexchange, detection of the second fiducial marks, wafer alignment andthe like are performed, in procedures similar to the ones previouslydescribed. Also in this case, at the wafer exchange position, gas withinthe decompression chamber formed by the wafer holder (omitted indrawings) of fine movement stage WFS1 and the back surface of wafer W isexhausted outside by the vacuum pump, which creates a negative pressurewithin the decompression chamber and wafer W is suctioned by the waferholder. And, by an action of a check valve (not shown), the decompressedstate of the decompression chamber is maintained, and wafer W is held bythe wafer holder even if tubes and the like used to suction the gas inthe decompression chamber by vacuum are not connected to fine movementstage WFS1. This allows fine movement stage WFS1 to be separated fromthe coarse movement stage and to be carried without any problems.

Then, main controller 20 converts array coordinates of each shot area onwafer W acquired from the wafer alignment into array coordinates whichare based on the second fiducial marks. In this case as well, positionmeasurement of fine movement stage WFS1 on alignment is performed, usingfine movement stage position measurement system 70B.

While wafer alignment to wafer W held by fine movement stage WFS1 iscompleted in the manner described above, exposure of wafer W which isheld by fine movement stage WFS2 in exposure station 200 is still beingcontinued.

Then, in a manner similar to the previous description, main controller20 moves fine movement stage WFS1 to relay stage DRST. Main controller20 waits for the exposure to wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2 to becompleted, in a state where relay stage DRST and coarse movement stageWCS2 are waiting at the waiting position previously described.

Hereinafter, a similar processing is repeatedly performed, alternatelyusing fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2, and an exposure processing toa plurality of wafer We is continuously performed.

As described in detail above, according to exposure apparatus 100 of theembodiment, in exposure station 200, wafer W mounted on fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) held relatively movable by coarse movement stageWCS1 is exposed with exposure light IL, via reticle R and projectionoptical system PL. In doing so, positional information in the XY planeof fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) held movable by coarse movementstage WCS1 is measured by main controller 20, using encoder system 73 offine movement stage position measurement system 70A which hasmeasurement arm 71A which is placed facing grating RG placed at finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2). In this case, because space is formedinside coarse movement stage WCS1 and each of the heads of fine movementstage position measurement system 70A are placed in this space, there isonly space between fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) and each of theheads of fine movement stage position measurement system 70A.Accordingly, each of the heads can be arranged in proximity to finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) (grating RG), which allows a highlyprecise measurement of the positional information of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) by fine movement stage position measurement system 70A.Further, as a consequence, a highly precise drive of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) via coarse movement stage drive system 51A and/or finemovement stage drive system 52A by main controller 20 becomes possible.

Further, in this case, irradiation points of the measurement beams ofeach of the heads of encoder system 73 and laser interferometer system75 configuring fine movement stage position measurement system 70Aemitted from measurement arm 71A on grating RG coincide with the center(exposure position) of irradiation area (exposure area) IA of exposurelight IL irradiated on wafer W. Accordingly, main controller 20 canmeasure the positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)with high accuracy, without being affected by so-called Abbe error.Further, because optical path lengths in the atmosphere of themeasurement beams of each of the heads of encoder system 73A can be madeextremely short by placing measurement arm 71A right under grating RG,the influence of air fluctuation is reduced, and also in this point, thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can bemeasured with high accuracy.

Further, in the embodiment, fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B configured symmetric to fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70A is provided in measurement station 300. And inmeasurement station 300, when wafer alignment to wafer W on finemovement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) held by coarse movement stage WCS2 isperformed by alignment systems AL1, and AL2₁ to AL2₄ and the like,positional information in the XY plane of fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) held movable on coarse movement stage WCS2 is measured by finemovement stage position measurement system 70B with high precision. As aconsequence, a highly precise drive of fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) via coarse movement stage drive system 51B and/or fine movementstage drive system 52B by main controller 20 becomes possible.

Further, in the embodiment, because the free end and the fixed end ineach of the arms are set in opposite directions in measurement arm 71Aat the exposure station 200 side and measurement arm 71B at themeasurement station 300 side, coarse movement stage WCS1 can approachmeasurement station 300 (to be more precise, relay stage DRST) andcoarse movement stage WCS2 can also approach exposure station 200 (to bemore precise, relay stage DRST), without being disturbed by measurementarms 71A and 71B.

Further, according to the embodiment, the delivery of fine movementstage WFS2 (or WFS1) holding the wafer which has not yet undergoneexposure from coarse movement stage WCS2 to relay stage DRST, and thedelivery from relay stage DRST to coarse movement stage WCS1 areperformed, by making fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) perform a slidemovement along an upper surface (a surface (a first surface) parallel tothe XY plane including the pair of stator sections 93 a and 93 b) ofcoarse movement stage WCS2, relay stage DRST, and coarse movement stageWCS1. Further, the delivery of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)holding the wafer which has been exposed from coarse movement stage WCS1to relay stage DRST, and the delivery from relay stage DRST to coarsemovement stage WCS1 are performed, by making fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2) move within the space inside coarse movement stage WCS1, relaystage DRST, and coarse movement stage WCS2, which are positioned on the−Z side of the first surface. Accordingly, the delivery of the waferbetween coarse movement stage WCS1 and relay stage DRST, and coarsemovement stage WCS2 and relay stage DRST, can be realized by suppressingan increase in the footprint of the apparatus as much as possible.

Further, in the embodiment, although relay stage DRST is configuredmovable within the XY plane, as is obvious from the description on theseries of parallel processing operations previously described, in theactual sequence, relay stage DRST remains waiting at the waitingposition previously described. On this point as well, an increase in thefootprint of the apparatus is suppressed.

Further, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment,positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is measuredwith highly precision by fine movement stage position measurement system70C even outside the measurable range of fine movement stage positionmeasurement systems 70A and 70B. Because a part of the measurable rangeof fine movement stage position measurement system 70A and fine movementstage position measurement system 70C overlaps each other, while a partof the measurable range of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70B and fine movement stage position measurement system 70C alsooverlaps each other (refer to FIG. 16), positional information of finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can be measured seamlessly when finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) moves from measurement station 300 toexposure station 200, by using the three fine movement stage positionmeasurement systems 70A, 70B, and 70C.

Further, because fine movement stage position measurement system 70Cmeasures positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) indirections of five degrees of freedom using encoder system 78 whichincludes a plurality of Y heads 96 and 97 that are placed facing Yscales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ placed on fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) by aclearance of around several millimeters, the position of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) can be measured with high precision.

Further, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, whenfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is moved and mounted from exposurestation 200 to measurement station 300 via relay stage DRST, finemovement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) which is to be moved and mounted issupported by the movable member of carrier member 48 and moves in the −Ydirection, inside coarse movement stage WCS1, relay stage DRST andcoarse movement stage WCS2. Positional information of fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the XY plane on this movement is measured byfine movement stage position measurement system 70D.

Accordingly, it becomes possible for main controller 20 to measurepositional information of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in a widerange within the XY plane, based on the output of fine movement stageposition measurement systems 70A, 70B, 70C and 70D.

Further, according to exposure apparatus of the embodiment, when thefirst section WCS1a and the second section WCS1b of coarse movementstage WCS1 are each driven by main controller 20 via coarse movementstage drive system 51A, and the first section WCS1a and the secondsection WCS1b are separated, fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) held bycoarse movement stage WCS1 before the separation can easily be detachedfrom coarse movement stage WCS1, while still holding wafer W which hasbeen exposed. That is, wafer W can be detached easily from coarsemovement stage WCS1, integrally with fine movement stage WFS1.

In this case, in the embodiment, because coarse movement stage WCS1 isseparated into the first section WCS1a and the second section WCS1b andfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has beenexposed is easily detached from coarse movement stage WCS1, after movingfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) integrally with coarse movement stageWCS1 in a direction (the +Y direction) from a fixed end to a free end ofmeasurement arm 71A which is supported in a cantilevered state with thetip inside the space within coarse movement stage WCS1, fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed can bedetached from coarse movement stage WCS1 without measurement arm 71Ainterfering the detachment.

Further, after fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W whichhas been exposed is detached from coarse movement stage WCS1, coarsemovement stage WCS1 is made to hold another fine movement stage WFS2 (orWFS1) which holds wafer W which has not yet undergone exposure.Accordingly, it becomes possible to detach fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed from coarse movement stageWCS1, or to make coarse movement stage WCS1 hold another fine movementstage WFS2 (or WFS1) holding wafer W which has not yet undergoneexposure, in a state each holding wafer W.

Further, main controller 20 drives carrier member 48 via carrier memberdrive system 54, and fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), which stillholds wafer W which has been exposed and has been detached from coarsemovement stage WCS1, is housed in the space inside of relay stage DRST.

Further, main controller 20 drives carrier member 48 via carrier memberdrive system 54 so that the position of fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) holding wafer W which has been exposed is set to a predeterminedheight, in a state where the first section of WCS2a and the secondsection WCS2b of coarse movement stage WCS2 are separated via coarsemovement stage drive system 51B. And, by the first section of WCS2abeing integrated with the second section WCS2b of coarse movement stageWCS2 via coarse movement stage drive system 51B by main controller 20,fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holding wafer W which has beenexposed can be delivered from relay stage DRST to coarse movement stageWCS2.

Furthermore, main controller 20 moves and mounts fine movement stageWFS2 (or WFS1) holding wafer W which has not yet undergone exposure fromcoarse movement stage WCS2 to relay stage DRST, via fine movement stagedrive systems 52B and 52C, and then further from relay stage DRST tocoarse movement stage WCS1, via fine movement stage drive systems 52Cand 52A.

Therefore, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, waferW can be delivered between the three, which are coarse movement stageWCS1, relay stage DRST, and coarse movement stage WCS2, integrally withfine movement stage WFS1 or WFS2, even if the size of wafer W increases,without any problems in particular.

Further, when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) holds liquid Lq betweentip lens 191 (projection optical system PL), blade BL (auxiliary stageAST) moves into a scrum state where blade BL is in contact or inproximity via a clearance of around 300 μm with fine movement stage WFS1(or WFS2) in the Y-axis direction, and moves along in the Y-axisdirection with fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) while maintaining thescrum state from the fixed end side to the free end side of measurementarm 71A, and then holds liquid Lq with tip lens 191 (projection opticalsystem PL) after this movement. Therefore, it becomes possible todeliver liquid Lq (the liquid immersion space formed by liquid Lq) heldwith tip lens 191 (projection optical system PL) from fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) to blade BL, without measurement arm 71A disturbingthe delivery.

Further, according to exposure apparatus 100 of the embodiment, becausefine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) can be driven with good precision, itbecomes possible to drive wafer W mounted on this fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) in synchronization with reticle stage RST (reticle R)with good precision, and to transfer a pattern of reticle R onto wafer Wby scanning exposure. Further, in exposure apparatus 100 of theembodiment, because wafer exchange, alignment measurement and the likeof wafer W on fine movement stage WFS2 (or WFS1) can be performed inmeasurement station 300, concurrently with the exposure operationperformed on wafer W mounted on fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) inexposure station 200, throughput can be improved when compared with thecase where each processing of wafer exchange, alignment measurement, andexposure is sequentially performed.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ placed on the upper surface of plate 83 offine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) are subject to measurement by Y heads96 and 97 belonging to head units 98A and 98B configuring a part ofencoder system 78 (fine movement stage position measurement system 70C),besides this, grating RG, which is subject to measurement by x head 77x, and Y heads 77 ya and 77 yb configuring a part of fine movement stageposition measurement systems 70A and 70B, can also be subject tomeasurement by Y heads 96 and 97. In this case, Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂will not be necessary. Further, in this case, grating RG should beformed substantially covering the entire area of the upper surface ofmain body section 81 of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2). In thiscase, on grating RG, measurement beams from Y heads 96 and 97 areirradiated from above (the +Z side) via plate 83 and cover glass 84(refer to FIGS. 2A and 2B), and measurement beams from X head 77 x, andY heads 77 ya and 77 yb configuring a part of fine movement stageposition measurement systems 70A and 70B, respectively, are also to beirradiated from below (the −Z side). In this case, when difficultiesoccur in Y heads 96 and 97 on measurement, the liquid repellent filmdoes not have to be formed in a partial area including an areacorresponding to the placement area of Y scales 87Y₁ and 87Y₂ on theupper surface of plate 83.

In the embodiment above, the case has been described of the movementrange of fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 when the exchange of finemovement stages WFS1 and WFS2 was performed between coarse movementstage WCS2 and coarse movement stage WCS1, via relay stage DRST, in thecase encoder system 78 (head units 98A and 98B, and Y heads 96 and 97)was placed. However, as well as this, for example, an encoder systemsimilar to encoder system 78 can be arranged, further at another placeas is described in the following modified example.

MODIFIED EXAMPLE

FIG. 33 shows a planar view of a measurement station 300 and a waferexchange area (including an unloading position UP and a loading positionLP) located on the +Y side of measurement station 300 of an exposureapparatus related to a modified example. As it can be seen from FIG. 33,on the +x side and the −X side of the wafer exchange area in a placementsymmetric to a reference axis LV, an unloading position UP where a waferis unloaded from fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) and a loadingposition LP where a wafer is loaded on fine movement stage WFS1 (orWFS2) are placed, respectively.

On fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2), grating RG is formedsubstantially covering the entire area of the upper surface of main bodysection 81.

Between measurement station 300, and unloading position UP and loadingposition LP, a head unit 98C is installed, which is equipped in anotherencoder system (hereinafter referred to as a third encoder system)different from encoder systems 73 and 78. Head unit 98C is fixed to mainframe BD by suspension via a support member.

Head unit 98C is equipped with a plurality of (fifteen, in this case)two-dimensional encoder heads (hereinafter, shortly referred to as 2Dheads) 95 _(k) (k=1 to 15) that are arrayed equispaced in the X-axisdirection. In this case, a 2D head refers to an encoder head whosemeasurement direction is in two directions, which are the X-axisdirection and the Y-axis direction. In the following description, 2Dheads 95 _(k) will also be expressed as 2D heads 95 when necessary. Thearray distance of 2D heads 95 is determined so as to satisfy theconditions in a. and b. described below.

a. One each of 2D heads 95 can constantly face an area of grating RG onthe +X side and the −X side of the wafer mounting area on fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) movesbetween unloading position UP and loading position LP.

b. In the case when two adjacent 2D heads are at a position where alinkage process (a process to secure the continuity of the position tobe measured (position measurement value)) should be performed betweenthe two adjacent 2D heads during the movement of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) between unloading position UP and loading position LP,the two adjacent 2D heads should be able to simultaneously face the areaof grating RG on the +X side and the −X side of the wafer mounting area.

Incidentally, each 2D head 95 is fixed at a position around several mmabove grating RG.

Each of the 2D heads 95 irradiates a measurement beam on grating RG fromabove (the +Z side) via plate 83 and cover glass 84 (refer to FIGS. 2Aand 2B), receives the diffraction light which occurs from an Xdiffraction grating and a Y diffraction grating of grating RG,respectively, and measures an XY position of grating RG (morespecifically, fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2)). As previouslydescribed, in the third encoder system, at least two 2D heads 95 facegrating RG. Accordingly, head unit 98C constitutes a multiple-lens(fifteen-lens, in this case) two-dimensional encoder system thatmeasures the position (including the θz position) of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) within the XY plane, using grating RG.

The third encoder system measures the position of fine movement stageWFS1 (or WFS2) within the XY plane at a resolution of, for example,around 0.1 nm, and then supplies the positional information (measurementvalues) to main controller 20. Main controller 20 drives fine movementstage WFS1 (or WFS2) (wafer stage WST2) within the wafer exchange area,based on the positional information (measurement values) that has beensupplied.

Incidentally, in this modified example, in addition to eleven each of Yheads 96 _(i) and 97 _(j) (i, j=1 to 11) previously described, four moreeach of Y heads 96 _(i) and 97 _(j) (i, j=12 to 15) belong to two headunits 98A and 98B configuring encoder system 78 (fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C). Y heads 96 _(i) and 97 _(j) (i, j=12to 15) are placed on the +Y side of Y heads 96 ₁₁ and 97 ₁₁ in parallelto the Y-axis by a distance WD, respectively. This increases themeasurable range of encoder system 78 (fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C), to the wafer exchange area.

Next, a processing performed using fine movement stage WFS1 supported bycoarse movement stage WCS2 in the wafer exchange area, in the exposureapparatus related to this modified example, will be described based onFIGS. 34A to 35B.

FIG. 34A shows a view of coarse movement stage WCS2 (wafer stage WST2)returning to measurement station 300, while holding fine movement stageWFS1 which holds a wafer that has undergone exposure. Prior to the stateshown in FIG. 34A, fine movement stage WFS1 and fine movement stage WFS2holding the wafer to which wafer alignment has been performed areexchanged between coarse movement stage WCS2 and coarse movement stageWCS1. The state shown in FIG. 34A corresponds to the state shown in FIG.24F. More specifically, coarse movement stage WCS2 holding fine movementstage WFS1 is driven in the +Y direction by main controller 20 as isshown by the black arrow in FIG. 34A, based on the positionalinformation measured by fine movement stage position measurement system70C.

Then, main controller 20 drives coarse movement stage WCS2 (wafer stageWST2) holding fine movement stage WFS1 further in the +Y direction basedon positional information (measurement values) of fine movement stageWFS1 from fine movement stage position measurement system 70C, passedmeasurement station 300, and then to the wafer exchange area.

FIG. 34B shows a state where wafer stage WST2 is located at themeasurement limit position on the +Y side of fine movement stageposition measurement system 70C (two head units 98A and 98B). At themeasurement limit position, Y heads 96 ₁₄ and 96 ₁₅ belonging to headunit 98A, and Y heads 97 ₁₄ and 97 ₁₅ belonging to head unit 98B of finemovement stage position measurement system 70C face the area of gratingRG on the +X side and the −X side of the wafer mounting area of finemovement stage WFS1. When this occurs, 2D heads 95 ₄ and 95 ₁₁ belongingto head unit 98C face the area of grating RG on the +X side and the −Xside of the wafer mounting area. Therefore, main controller 20 switchesthe measurement system which measures the positional information of finemovement stage WFS1, from fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70C to the third encoder system.

In this case, in order to continuously link the position (positionmeasurement value) of wafer stage WST2 which is to be measured, maincontroller 20 resets the measurement values of the third encoder system,using the measurement values of fine movement stage position measurementsystem 70C. More specifically, main controller 20 resets the measurementvalues of 2D heads 95 ₄ and 95 ₁₁ so that the measurement values of thethird encoder system coincides with the measurement values of finemovement stage position measurement system 70C.

After switching the measurement system, main controller 20 drives waferstage WST2 in the +X direction after driving wafer stage WST2 further inthe +Y direction as is shown by the black arrow in FIG. 35A, based onthe positional information of fine movement stage WFS1 measured by thethird encoder system. By this drive, fine movement stage WFS1 ispositioned at unloading position UP, as shown in FIG. 35A. By themovement of fine movement stage WFS1 in the +X direction on this drive,2D heads 95 ₄ to 95 ₁ sequentially face the area of grating RG on the +Xside of the wafer mounting area, while 2D heads 95 ₁₁ to 95 ₆sequentially face the area of grating RG on the −X side of the wafermounting area. Then, by an unload arm (not shown), wafer W is unloadedfrom fine movement stage WFS1.

After the unloading of wafer W, main controller 20 drives wafer stageWST2 (fine movement stage WFS1) in the −X direction as is shown by theblack arrow in FIG. 35B. By this drive, fine movement stage WFS1 ispositioned at loading position LP, as shown in FIG. 35B. By the movementof fine movement stage WFS1 in the −X direction on this drive, 2D heads95 ₁ to 95 ₁₀ sequentially face the area of grating RG on the +X side ofthe wafer mounting area, while 2D heads 95 ₆ to 95 ₁₅ sequentially facethe area of grating RG on the −X side of the wafer mounting area. Then,by a load arm (not shown), a new wafer W′ is loaded onto fine movementstage WFS1.

After the loading of wafer W′, main controller 20 drives wafer stageWST2 (fine movement stage WFS1) in the −Y direction on reference axis LVafter driving wafer stage WST2 in the +X direction, as is shown by theoutlined arrow in FIG. 35B. By this drive, wafer stage WST2 (finemovement stage WFS1) is moved within the measurable range of finemovement stage position measurement system 70C shown in FIG. 34B. Then,main controller 20 switches the measurement system which measures thepositional information of fine movement stage WFS2, from the thirdencoder system to fine movement stage position measurement system 70C.

In this case, in order to continuously link the position (positionmeasurement value) of wafer stage WST2 which is to be measured, maincontroller 20 resets the measurement values of Y heads 96 ₁₄ and 96 ₁₅,and 97 ₁₄ and 97 ₁₅, so that the measurement values of fine movementstage position measurement system 70C coincides with the measurementvalues of the third encoder system.

After switching the measurement system, main controller 20 moves waferstage WST2 into measurement station 300, based on the positionalinformation (measurement values) of fine movement stage WFS1 measured byfine movement stage position measurement system 70C, and then performswafer alignment on wafer W′ in the manner previously described.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70D was configured by an interferometer system forthe following reason. More specifically, the reason for this is becausefine movement stage position measurement system 70D is used to measurepositional information of one of the fine movement stages when the onefine movement stage holding a wafer on which exposure has been performedis moved and mounted from one of the coarse movement stages to theother, or from coarse movement stage WCS1 to coarse movement stage WCS2for wafer exchange, the accuracy required does not have to be too high,and no problems occur in particular even in the case when the system isaffected by air fluctuation.

Incidentally, when fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is delivered fromcoarse movement stage WCS2 to coarse movement stage WCS1 (via relaystage DRST), the configuration of fine movement stage positionmeasurement system 70C used to measure the positional information offine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the XY plane and fine movementstage position measurement system 70D used to measure the positionalinformation of fine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) in the XY plane whenfine movement stage WFS1 (or WFS2) is delivered from coarse movementstage WCS1 to coarse movement stage WCS2 (via relay stage DRST) is notlimited to the configuration described in the embodiment above. Forexample, fine movement stage position measurement system 70C does nothave to be equipped with both encoder system 78 and laser interferometersystem 79, and either of the systems will do. Further, the configurationof fine movement stage position measurement systems 70C and 70D isarbitrary. For example, as these position measurement systems, ameasurement system (not limited to an encoder) which irradiates ameasurement beam from the upper surface side of the fine movement stageon a grating arranged on the back surface side can be used. In thiscase, a transmitting section or an opening section through which themeasurement beam passes can be provided in a part of the fine movementstage, only in a range covering a replacement operation range. Further,each of the measurement devices configuring fine movement stage positionmeasurement systems 70C and 70D can perform position measurement byirradiating a measurement beam on (a measurement plane or a reflectionsurface of) the fine movement stage not from above or from the sides,but from below.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere blade BL (movable member) was provided in auxiliary stage ASTwhich moves within an XY plane, the present invention is not limited tothis. That is, the movable member can have any configuration as long aswhen a holding member (in the embodiment above, the fine movement stageis equivalent) holds liquid Lq with an optical member (in the embodimentabove, tip lens 191 is equivalent), a movable member can approach(including the case of being in contact) the holding member within apredetermined distance (e.g., 300 μm) in the Y-axis direction, and canmove along in the Y-axis direction (from the fixed end side to the freeend side of measurement arm 71A in the embodiment above) along with theholding member while maintaining the proximity state (the scrum statepreviously described), and then can hold liquid Lq with the opticalmember after the movement. Accordingly, the movable member can be amovable blade which is driven by a robot arm, or other drive devices.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, fine movement stage WFS1 holdingwafer W which has been exposed was delivered first to carrier member 48of relay stage DRST, and then fine movement stage WFS2 held by relaystage DRST was slid afterwards to be held by coarse movement stage WCS1,using FIGS. 24A to 24C. However, besides this, fine movement stage WFS2can be delivered to carrier member 48 of relay stage DRST first, andthen fine movement stage WFS1 held by coarse movement stage WCS1 can beslid afterwards to be held by relay stage DRST.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the gap (clearance) betweenrelay stage DRST and coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 was set toaround 300 μm in the case of making coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2proximal to relay stage DRST, respectively to replace fine movementstages WFS1 and WFS2, this gap does not necessarily have to be set smallas in the case, for example, such as when blade BL and fine movementstage WFS1 are driven in proximity. In this case, relay stage DRST andcoarse movement stage can be distanced within a range where finemovement stage is not tilted greatly (that is, the stator and the moverof the linear motor do not come into contact) at the time of movement ofthe fine movement stage between relay stage DRST and the coarse movementstage. In other words, the gap between relay stage DRST and coarsemovement stages WCS1 and WCS2 is not limited to around 300 μm, and canbe made extremely large.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere the apparatus is equipped with relay stage DRST, in addition tocoarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, relay stage DRST does notnecessarily have to be provided. In this case, the fine movement stagehas to be delivered, for example, between coarse movement stage WCS1 andcoarse movement stage WCS2, and for this purpose, a relay member has tobe added in order to achieve the delivery. For example, a holding memberwhich temporarily holds the fine movement stage can be installed betweenthe movable range of coarse movement stage WCS1 and the movable range ofcoarse movement stage WCS2, or, for example, the fine movement stage canbe delivered to coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 using a robot armand the like. As a holding member, a vertically movable table can beused, which fits inside of base board 12 at normal times so as not toproject above from the floor surface, and moves upward to support thefine movement stage when coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 areseparated into two sections, and then moves downward while stillsupporting the fine movement stage. Alternatively, in the case a narrownotch is formed in the Y-axis direction in coarse movement slidersection 91 of coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2, a table whose shaftsection protrudes from the floor surface and is vertically movable canbe used. In any case, the holding member can have any structure as longas the section supporting the fine movement stage is movable at least inone direction, and does not interfere when the fine movement stage isdelivered directly between coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 in astate supporting the fine movement stage. In any case, when the finemovement stage is supported neither by coarse movement stage WCS1 norWCS2, a measurement system (not limited to an interferometer system)which measures the positional information within the XY plane of thefine movement stage held by the relay member has to be provided. Besidesthis, for example, a carrier mechanism, which delivers the fine movementstage to coarse movement stage WCS1 and then receives the fine movementstage and delivers the fine movement stage to an external carrier system(not shown) from coarse movement stage WCS1, can be provided in coarsemovement stage WCS2. In this case, the external carrier system canattach the fine movement stage holding the wafer to coarse movementstage WCS2. Incidentally, in the case the relay stage is not arranged,this allows the footprint of the apparatus to be reduced.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 were separable into the firstsection and the second section as well as the first section and thesecond section being engageable, besides this, the first section and thesecond section may have any type of arrangement, even when the firstsection and the second section are physically constantly apart, as longas they are reciprocally approachable and dividable, and on separation,a holding member (the fine movement stage in the embodiment above) isdetachable, whereas when the distance is closed, the holding member issupportable.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and 70B aremade entirely of, for example, glass, and are equipped with measurementarms 71A and 71B in which light can proceed inside, the presentinvention is not limited to this. For example, at least only the partwhere each of the laser beams previously described proceed in themeasurement arm has to be made of a solid member which can pass throughlight, and the other sections, for example, can be a member that doesnot transmit light, and can have a hollow structure. Further, as ameasurement arm, for example, a light source or a photodetector can bebuilt in the tip of the measurement arm, as long as a measurement beamcan be irradiated from the section facing the grating. In this case, themeasurement beam of the encoder does not have to proceed inside themeasurement arm.

Further, in the measurement arm, the part (beam optical path segment)where each laser beam proceeds can be hollow. Or, in the case ofemploying a grating interference type encoder system as the encodersystem, the optical member on which the diffraction grating is formedonly has to be provided on an arm that has low thermal expansion, suchas for example, ceramics, Invar and the like. This is because especiallyin an encoder system, the space where the beam separates is extremelynarrow (short) so that the system is not affected by air fluctuation asmuch as possible. Furthermore, in this case, the temperature can bestabilized by supplying gas whose temperature has been controlled to thespace between fine movement stage (wafer holder) and the measurement arm(and beam optical path). Furthermore, the measurement arm need not haveany particular shape.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while measurement arms 71A and71B are provided on the same main frame BD, as well as this, measurementarms 71A and 71B can be provided on a different support member. Forexample, the projection system (projection unit PU) and the alignmentsystem (aligner 99) can be supported by separate support devices, andmeasurement arm 71A can be provided on the support device of theprojection system, and measurement arm 71B can be provided on thesupport device of the alignment system.

Incidentally, in the embodiment, because measurement arms 71A and 71Bare fixed to main frame BD integrally, torsion and the like may occurdue to internal stress (including thermal stress) in measurement arms71A and 71B, which may change the relative position between measurementarms 71A and 71B, and main frame BD. Therefore, as countermeasuresagainst such cases, the position of measurement arms 71A and 71B (achange in a relative position with respect to main frame BD, or a changeof position with respect to a reference position) can be measured, andthe position of measurement arms 71A and 71B can be finely adjusted, orthe measurement results corrected, with actuators and the like.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere measurement arms 71A and 71B are integral with main frame BD, aswell as this, measurement arms 71A and 71B and mainframe BD may beseparated. In this case, a measurement device (for example, an encoderand/or an interferometer) which measures a position (or displacement) ofmeasurement arms 71A and 71B with respect to main frame BD (or areference position), and an actuator and the like to adjust a positionof measurement arms 71A and 71B can be provided, and main controller 20as well as other controllers can maintain a positional relation betweenmain frame BD (and projection optical system PL) and measurement arms71A and 71B at a predetermined relation (for example, constant), basedon measurement results of the measurement device.

Further, a measurement system (sensor), a temperature sensor, a pressuresensor, an acceleration sensor for vibration measurement and the likecan be provided in measurement arms 71A and 71B, so as to measure avariation in measurement arms 71A and 71B by an optical technique. Or, adistortion sensor (strain gauge) or a displacement sensor can beprovided, so as to measure a variation in measurement arms 71A and 71B.And, by using the values obtained by these sensors, positionalinformation obtained by fine movement stage position measurement system70A and/or wafer stage position measurement system 68A, or fine movementstage position measurement system 70B and/or wafer stage positionmeasurement system 68B can be corrected.

Further, in the embodiment above, while the case has been describedwhere measurement arm 71A (or 71B) is supported in a cantilevered statevia one support member 72A (or 72B) from mainframe BD, as well as this,for example, measurement arm 71A (or 71B) can be supported by suspensionfrom main frame BD via a U-shaped suspension section, including twosuspension members which are arranged apart in the X-axis direction. Inthis case, it is desirable to set the distance between the twosuspension members so that the fine movement stage can move in betweenthe two suspension members.

Further, fine movement stage position measurement systems 70A and 70B donot always have to be equipped with a measurement arm, and will sufficeas long as the systems have a head which is placed facing grating RGinside the space of coarse movement stages WCS1 and WCS2 and receives adiffraction light from grating RG of at least one measurement beamirradiated on grating RG, and can measure the positional information offine movement stage WFS at least within the XY plane, based on theoutput of the head.

Further, in the embodiment above, while an example has been shown whereencoder system 73 is equipped with an X head and a pair of Y heads,besides this, for example, one or two two-dimensional heads (2D heads)can be provided, as in the third encoder system of the modified exampledescribed above. In the case two 2D heads are provided, detection pointsof the two heads can be arranged to be two points which are spacedequally apart in the X-axis direction on the grating, with the exposureposition serving as the center.

Incidentally, fine movement stage position measurement system 70A canmeasure positional information in directions of six degrees of freedomof the fine movement stage only by using encoder system 73, withoutbeing equipped with laser interferometer system 75. Besides this, anencoder which can measure positional information in at least one of theX-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction canalso be used. For example, by irradiating measurement beams from a totalof three encoders including an encoder which can measure positionalinformation in the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction and anencoder which can measure positional information in the Y-axis directionand the Z-axis direction, on three measurement points that arenoncollinear, and receiving the return lights, positional information ofthe movable body on which grating RG is provided can be measured indirections of six degrees of freedom. Further, the configuration ofencoder system 73 is not limited to the embodiment described above, andis arbitrary.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while the grating was placed onthe upper surface of the fine movement stage, that is, a surface thatfaces the wafer, as well as this, the grating can be formed on a waferholder holding the wafer. In this case, even when a wafer holder expandsor an installing position to the fine movement stage shifts duringexposure, this can be followed up when measuring the position of thewafer holder (wafer). Further, the grating can be placed on the lowersurface of the fine movement stage, and in this case, the fine movementstage does not have to be a solid member through which light can passbecause the measurement beam irradiated from the encoder head does notproceed inside the fine movement stage, and fine movement stage can havea hollow structure with the piping, wiring and like placed inside, whichallows the weight of the fine movement stage to be reduced.

Incidentally, in the embodiments above, while an encoder system was usedin which measurement beams proceeded inside of measurement arms 71A and71B and were irradiated on grating RG of the fine movement stage frombelow, as well as this, an encoder system can be used which has anoptical system (such as a beam splitter) of an encoder head provided inthe measurement arm, and the optical system and a light source can beconnected by an optical fiber, which allows a laser beam to betransmitted from the light source to the optical system via the opticalfiber, and/or the optical system and a photodetection section can beconnected by an optical fiber, and the optical fiber allows a returnlight from grating RG to be transmitted from the optical system to thephotodetection system.

Further, the drive mechanism of driving the fine movement stage withrespect to the coarse movement stage is not limited to the mechanismdescribed in the embodiment above. For example, in the embodiment, whilethe coil which drives the fine movement stage in the Y-axis directionalso functioned as a coil which drives fine movement stage in the Z-axisdirection, besides this, an actuator (linear motor) which drives thefine movement stage in the Y-axis direction and an actuator which drivesthe fine movement stage in the Z-axis direction, or more specifically,levitates the fine movement stage, can each be provided independently.In this case, because it is possible to make a constant levitation forceact on the fine movement stage, the position of the fine movement stagein the Z-axis direction becomes stable. Incidentally, in the embodimentsabove, while the case has been described where mover sections 82 a and82 b equipped in the fine movement stage have a U shape in a side view,as a matter of course, the mover section, as well as the stator section,equipped in the linear motor that drives the fine movement stage do nothave to be U shaped.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, while fine movement stages WFS1and WFS2 are supported in a noncontact manner by coarse movement stageWCS1 or WCS2 by the action of the Lorentz force (electromagnetic force),besides this, for example, a vacuum preload type hydrostatic airbearings and the like can be arranged on fine movement stages WFS1 andWFS2 so that the stages are supported by levitation with respect tocoarse movement stage WCS1 or WCS2. Further, in the embodiment above,while fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 could be driven in directionsof all 6 degrees of freedom, the present invention is not limited tothis, and fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 only needs to be able tomove within a two-dimensional plane which is parallel to the XY plane.Further, fine movement stage drive systems 52A and 52B are not limitedto the magnet moving type described above, and can also be a moving coiltype as well. Furthermore, fine movement stages WFS1 and WFS2 can alsobe supported in contact with coarse movement stage WCS1 or WCS2.Accordingly, as the fine movement stage drive system which drives finemovement stages WFS1 and WFS2 with respect to coarse movement stage WCS1or WCS2, for example, a rotary motor and a ball screw (or a feed screw)can also be combined for use.

Incidentally, the fine movement stage position measurement system can beconfigured so that position measurement is possible within the totalmovement range of wafer stage WST. In this case, wafer stage positionmeasurement system 16 will not be required. Further, in the embodimentabove, base board 12 can be a counter mass which can move by anoperation of a reaction force of the drive force of the wafer stage. Inthis case, coarse movement stage does not have to be used as a countermass, or when the coarse movement stage is used as a counter mass as inthe embodiment described above, the weight of the coarse movement stagecan be reduced.

Incidentally, the wafer used in the exposure apparatus of the embodimentabove is not limited to the 450 mm wafer, and can be a wafer of asmaller size (such as a 300 mm wafer).

Further, in the embodiment above, the case has been described where theexposure apparatus is a liquid immersion type exposure apparatus.However, the present invention is not limited to this, but can also beapplied suitably in a dry type exposure apparatus that performs exposureof wafer W without liquid (water).

Further, while the case has been described where the exposure apparatusof the embodiment described above uses two fine movement stages WFS1 andWFS2, besides this, the exposure apparatus can also have a configurationwhere one fine movement stage reciprocally moves between measurementstation 300 and exposure station 200. In this case, because the finemovement stage is constantly driven flush with the two-dimensional planewhere the exposure operation and the alignment measurement areperformed, positional information of the fine movement stage is measuredusing fine movement stage position measurement system 70C as isdescribed in the embodiment above also when the fine movement stage iscarried from exposure station 200 to measurement station 300.

Further, the structure of the encoder system configuring fine movementstage position measurement system 70C is not limited to the onedescribed in the embodiment above. For example, the encoder system canhave a configuration where a measurement beam is irradiated on a scalewhich is provided fixed to main frame BD extending in the Y-axisdirection from an encoder head placed on the fine movement stage, andpositional information of the fine movement stage is measured based onthe light from this scale.

Incidentally, in the embodiment above, the case has been described wherethe present invention is applied to a scanning stepper; however, thepresent invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to astatic exposure apparatus such as a stepper. Even in the case of astepper, by measuring the position of a stage on which the objectsubject to exposure is mounted using an encoder, position measurementerror caused by air fluctuation can substantially be nulled, which isdifferent from when measuring the position of this stage using aninterferometer, and it becomes possible to position the stage with highprecision based on the measurement values of the encoder, which in turnmakes it possible to transfer a reticle pattern on the object with highprecision. Further, the present invention can also be applied to areduction projection exposure apparatus by a step-and-stitch method thatsynthesizes a shot area and a shot area.

Further, the magnification of the projection optical system in theexposure apparatus of the embodiment above is not only a reductionsystem, but also may be either an equal magnifying system or amagnifying system, and projection optical system PL is not only adioptric system, but also may be either a catoptric system or acatadioptric system, and in addition, this projected image may be eitheran inverted image or an upright image.

In addition, the illumination light IL is not limited to ArF excimerlaser light (with a wavelength of 193 nm), but may be ultraviolet light,such as KrF excimer laser light (with a wavelength of 248 nm), or vacuumultraviolet light, such as F2 laser light (with a wavelength of 157 nm).As disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,023,610, a harmonic wave,which is obtained by amplifying a single-wavelength laser beam in theinfrared or visible range emitted by a DFB semiconductor laser or fiberlaser, with a fiber amplifier doped with, for example, erbium (or botherbium and ytteribium), and by converting the wavelength intoultraviolet light using a nonlinear optical crystal, can also be used asvacuum ultraviolet light.

In addition, the illumination light IL of the exposure apparatus 10 inthe abovementioned embodiment is not limited to light with a wavelengthof 100 nm or greater, and, of course, light with a wavelength of lessthan 100 nm may be used. For example, the present invention can beapplied to an EUV exposure apparatus that uses an EUV (ExtremeUltraviolet) light in a soft X-ray range (e.g. a wavelength range from 5to 15 nm). In addition, the present invention can also be applied to anexposure apparatus that uses charged particle beams such as an electronbeam or an ion beam.

Further, in the embodiment above, a transmissive type mask (reticle) isused, which is a transmissive substrate on which a predetermined lightshielding pattern (or a phase pattern or a light attenuation pattern) isformed. Instead of this reticle, however, as is disclosed in, forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,257, an electron mask (which is also calleda variable shaped mask, an active mask or an image generator, andincludes, for example, a DMD (Digital Micromirror Device) that is a typeof a non-emission type image display device (spatial light modulator) orthe like) on which a light-transmitting pattern, a reflection pattern,or an emission pattern is formed according to electronic data of thepattern that is to be exposed can also be used. In the case of usingsuch a variable shaped mask, because the stage where a wafer, a glassplate or the like is mounted is scanned with respect to the variableshaped mask, an equivalent effect as the embodiment above can beobtained by measuring the position of this stage using an encoder systemand a laser interferometer system.

Further, as is disclosed in, for example, PCT International PublicationNo. 2001/035168, the present invention can also be applied to anexposure apparatus (lithography system) that forms line-and-spacepatterns on a wafer W by forming interference fringes on wafer W.

Moreover, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,611,316, thepresent invention can also be applied to an exposure apparatus thatsynthesizes two reticle patterns via a projection optical system andalmost simultaneously performs double exposure of one shot area by onescanning exposure.

Incidentally, an object on which a pattern is to be formed (an objectsubject to exposure to which an energy beam is irradiated) in theembodiment above is not limited to a wafer, but may be other objectssuch as a glass plate, a ceramic substrate, a film member, or a maskblank.

In addition, the application of the exposure apparatus is not limited toan exposure apparatus for fabricating semiconductor devices, but can bewidely adapted to, for example, an exposure apparatus for fabricatingliquid crystal devices, wherein a liquid crystal display device patternis transferred to a rectangular glass plate, as well as to exposureapparatuses for fabricating organic electroluminescent displays, thinfilm magnetic heads, image capturing devices (e.g., CCDs),micromachines, and DNA chips. In addition to fabricating microdeviceslike semiconductor devices, the present invention can also be adapted toan exposure apparatus that transfers a circuit pattern to a glasssubstrate, a silicon wafer, or the like in order to fabricate a reticleor a mask used by a visible light exposure apparatus, an EUV exposureapparatus, an X-ray exposure apparatus, an electron beam exposureapparatus, and the like.

Incidentally, the movable body apparatus of the present invention can beapplied not only to the exposure apparatus, but can also be appliedwidely to other substrate processing apparatuses (such as a laser repairapparatus, a substrate inspection apparatus and the like), or toapparatuses equipped with a movable stage of a position settingapparatus of a sample or a wire bonding apparatus in other precisionmachines.

Incidentally, the disclosures of all publications, the Published PCTInternational Publications, the U.S. patent applications and the U.S.patents that are cited in the description so far related to exposureapparatuses and the like are each incorporated herein by reference.

Electronic devices such as semiconductor devices are manufacturedthrough the steps of; a step where the function/performance design ofthe device is performed, a step where a reticle based on the design stepis manufactured, a step where a wafer is manufactured from siliconmaterials, a lithography step where the pattern of a mask (the reticle)is transferred onto the wafer by the exposure apparatus (patternformation apparatus) and the exposure method in the embodimentpreviously described, a development step where the wafer that has beenexposed is developed, an etching step where an exposed member of an areaother than the area where the resist remains is removed by etching, aresist removing step where the resist that is no longer necessary whenetching has been completed is removed, a device assembly step (includinga dicing process, a bonding process, the package process), inspectionsteps and the like. In this case, in the lithography step, because thedevice pattern is formed on the wafer by executing the exposure methodpreviously described using the exposure apparatus of the embodiment, ahighly integrated device can be produced with good productivity.

While the above-described embodiments of the present invention are thepresently preferred embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art oflithography systems will readily recognize that numerous additions,modifications, and substitutions may be made to the above-describedembodiments without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. It isintended that all such modifications, additions, and substitutions fallwithin the scope of the present invention, which is best defined by theclaims appended below.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exposure apparatus that exposes a substratewith an illumination light via a projection optical system, theapparatus comprising: a frame member that supports the projectionoptical system; a base member placed under the projection optical systemand having a surface placed substantially parallel to a predeterminedplane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projection optical system; aholding member having a mounting area for the substrate and ameasurement plane that is placed lower than the mounting area and has agrating, the holding member being placed on the base member; an exposurestation having a first measurement member and a first measurementsystem, where an exposure process of irradiating the substrate with theillumination light via the projection optical system is performed, thefirst measurement member being supported by the frame member and havinga part placed under the projection optical system, and the firstmeasurement system measuring positional information of the holdingmember by irradiating a first measurement beam to the measurement planefrom below via a first head section that is provided at the firstmeasurement member to be placed between the measurement plane and asurface of the base member; a measurement station having a detectionsystem, a second measurement member and a second measurement system,where a measurement process of the substrate by the detection system isperformed, the detection system being supported by the frame member awayfrom the projection optical system, the second measurement member beingsupported by the frame member and having a part placed under thedetection system, and the second measurement system measuring positionalinformation of the holding member by irradiating a second measurementbeam to the measurement plane from below via a second head section thatis provided at the second measurement member to be placed between themeasurement plane and a surface of the base member; a third measurementsystem placed between the projection optical system and the detectionsystem, that measures positional information of the holding memberduring a movement of the holding member from one of the exposure stationand the measurement station to the other; and a controller coupled tothe first and the second measurement systems, that controls a movementof the holding member based on the positional information measured bythe first measurement system in the exposure station and also controls amovement of the holding member based on the positional informationmeasured by the second measurement system in the measurement station. 2.The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein on the measurementplane, a reflective two-dimensional grating is formed, and the first andthe second measurement systems detect the first and the secondmeasurement beams reflected off the measurement plane, via the first andthe second head sections, respectively.
 3. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 2, wherein a size of a formation area of thetwo-dimensional grating is larger than a size of a substrate held by theholding member.
 4. The exposure apparatus according to claim 3, whereinthe holding member has a protective member that covers the formationarea of the two-dimensional grating, and the first and the secondmeasurement beams are each irradiated on the two-dimensional grating viathe protective member.
 5. The exposure apparatus according to claim 2,wherein the first measurement system has a detection point to irradiatewith the first measurement beam, within an exposure area that isirradiated with the illumination light via the projection opticalsystem, in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to eachother within the predetermined plane.
 6. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 5, wherein the first measurement system irradiates aplurality of first measurement beams including the first measurementbeam on the measurement plane, and the plurality of first measurementbeams are irradiated on a plurality of detection points including thedetection point, respectively, positions of the plurality of detectionpoints being different in the first direction or the second direction,or in the first and the second directions within the exposure area. 7.The exposure apparatus according to claim 6, wherein one of theplurality of detection points substantially coincides with a center inthe exposure area.
 8. The exposure apparatus according to claim 7,wherein the plurality of detection points include a pair of detectionpoints that are placed substantially symmetrically with respect to thecenter in the exposure area.
 9. The exposure apparatus according toclaim 5, wherein the first and the second measurement systems eachmeasure the positional information of the holding member in directionsof six degrees of freedom that include the first and the seconddirections and a third direction orthogonal to the first and the seconddirections.
 10. The exposure apparatus according to claim 9, furthercomprising: a local liquid immersion device having a nozzle memberprovided surrounding an optical member, in contact with a liquid, of theprojection optical system, the local liquid immersion device forming aliquid immersion area under the projection optical system with theliquid supplied via the nozzle member and recovering the liquid of theliquid immersion area via the nozzle member; and a movable member placedon the base member in the exposure station and having an upper surface,wherein in order for the holding member and the movable member, one ofwhich is placed facing the projection optical system, to approach eachother, the controller relatively moves the other of the holding memberand the movable member with respect to the one of the holding member andthe movable member, and in order for the other of the holding member andthe movable member to be placed facing the projection optical system inplace of the one of the holding member and the movable member, thecontroller relatively moves the holding member and the movable memberthat have approached with respect to the nozzle member, and moves theliquid immersion area from the one of the holding member and the movablemember to the other while substantially maintaining the liquid immersionarea under the projection optical system.
 11. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 9, wherein the first measurement member has a firstmember provided with the first head section and placed under theprojection optical system and a second member coupled to the framemember and supporting the first member, and the second measurementmember has a third member provided with the second head section andplaced under the detection system and a fourth member coupled to theframe member and supporting the third member.
 12. The exposure apparatusaccording to claim 11, wherein in the first measurement member, thefirst member is supported by the second member so that the first memberis placed between the measurement plane and a surface of the base memberin a third direction orthogonal to the first and the second directions,and in the second measurement member, the third member is supported bythe fourth member so that the third member is placed between themeasurement plane and a surface of the base member in the thirddirection.
 13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein inthe first measurement member, the first member is provided extending inthe first direction so that the first head section is positioned underthe projection optical system, and in the second measurement member, thethird member is provided extending in the first direction so that thesecond head section is positioned under the detection system.
 14. Theexposure apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the exposure stationand the measurement station are placed so that their positions aredifferent in the first direction.
 15. The exposure apparatus accordingto claim 13, wherein the first measurement member has the first headsection provided on one side in the first direction, and is supported bythe frame member on an other side in the first direction, and the secondmeasurement member has the second head section provided on the otherside in the first direction, and is supported by the frame member on theone side in the first direction.
 16. The exposure apparatus according toclaim 15, wherein the first and the second measurement members are eachsupported by the frame member only on one end side in the firstdirection.
 17. The exposure apparatus according to claim 16, wherein theholding member is moved to under the projection optical system so thatthe first member enters under the measurement plane from the one side inthe first direction.
 18. The exposure apparatus according to claim 17,wherein the holding member is moved to under the detection system sothat the third member enters under the measurement plane from the otherside in the first direction.
 19. The exposure apparatus according toclaim 18, wherein the first measurement system detects the firstmeasurement beam reflected off the measurement plane, via the first headsection and an inside of the first measurement member, and the secondmeasurement system detects the second measurement beam reflected off themeasurement plane, via the second head section and an inside of thesecond measurement member.
 20. A device manufacturing method, including:exposing a substrate using the exposure apparatus according to claim 1;and developing the substrate which has been exposed.
 21. An exposuremethod of exposing a substrate with an illumination light via aprojection optical system, the method comprising: moving a holdingmember on a base member having a surface placed substantially parallelto a predetermined plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the projectionoptical system, the holding member having a mounting area for thesubstrate and a measurement plane that is placed lower than the mountingarea and has a grating; in an exposure station where an exposure processof irradiating the substrate with the illumination light via theprojection optical system is performed, measuring positional informationof the holding member by a first measurement system that irradiates afirst measurement beam to the measurement plane from below via a firsthead section that is provided at a first measurement member to be placedbetween the measurement plane and a surface of the base member, thefirst measurement member being supported by the frame member and havinga part placed under the projection optical system; in a measurementstation having a detection system supported by the frame member awayfrom the proj ection optical system, where a measurement process of thesubstrate by the detection system is performed, measuring positionalinformation of the holding member by a second measurement system thatirradiates a second measurement beam to the measurement plane from belowvia a second head section that is provided at a second measurementmember to be placed between the measurement plane and a surface of thebase member, the second measurement member being supported by the framemember and having a part placed under the detection system; measuringpositional information of the holding member during a movement of theholding member from one of the exposure station and the measurementstation to the other, by a third measurement system placed between theprojection optical system and the detection system and different fromthe first and the second measurement systems; and controlling a movementof the holding member based on the positional information measured bythe first measurement system in the exposure station and alsocontrolling a movement of the holding member based on the positionalinformation measured by the second measurement system in the measurementstation.
 22. The exposure method according to claim 21, wherein on themeasurement plane, a reflective two-dimensional grating is formed, andthe first and the second measurement beams reflected off the measurementplane are detected via the first and the second head sections,respectively.
 23. The exposure method according to claim 22, wherein asize of a formation area of the two-dimensional grating is larger than asize of a substrate held by the holding member.
 24. The exposure methodaccording to claim 23, wherein the first and the second measurementbeams are each irradiated on the two-dimensional grating via aprotective member that covers the formation area of the two-dimensionalgrating.
 25. The exposure method according to claim 22, wherein thefirst measurement beam is irradiated on a detection point within anexposure area that is irradiated with the illumination light via theprojection optical system, in a first direction and a second directionorthogonal to each other within the predetermined plane.
 26. Theexposure method according to claim 25, wherein the first measurementsystem irradiates a plurality of first measurement beams including thefirst measurement beam on the measurement plane, and the plurality offirst measurement beams are irradiated on a plurality of detectionpoints including the detection point, respectively, positions of theplurality of detection points being different in the first direction orthe second direction, or in the first and the second directions withinthe exposure area.
 27. The exposure method according to claim 26,wherein one of the plurality of detection points substantially coincideswith a center in the exposure area.
 28. The exposure method according toclaim 27, wherein the plurality of detection points include a pair ofdetection points that are placed substantially symmetrically withrespect to the center in the exposure area.
 29. The exposure methodaccording to claim 25, wherein the first and the second measurementsystems each measure the positional information of the holding member indirections of six degrees of freedom that include the first and thesecond directions and a third direction orthogonal to the first and thesecond directions.
 30. The exposure method according to claim 29,wherein a liquid immersion area is formed under the projection opticalsystem with a liquid supplied via a nozzle member provided surroundingan optical member, in contact with the liquid, of the projection opticalsystem, and the method further comprises: in order for the holdingmember and the movable member, one of which is placed facing theprojection optical system, to approach each other, relatively moving theother of the holding member and the movable member with respect to theone of the holding member and the movable member; and in order for theother of the holding member and the movable member to be placed facingthe projection optical system in place of the one of the holding memberand the movable member, relatively moving the holding member and themovable member that have approached with respect to the nozzle member,wherein the liquid immersion area is moved from the one of the holdingmember and the movable member to the other while the liquid immersionarea is substantially maintained under the projection optical system.31. A device manufacturing method, including: exposing a substrate usingthe exposure method according to claim 21; and developing the substratewhich has been exposed.
 32. A method of making an exposure apparatusthat exposes a substrate with an illumination light via a projectionoptical system, the method comprising: providing a frame member thatsupports the projection optical system; providing a base member placedunder the projection optical system and having a surface placedsubstantially parallel to a predetermined plane orthogonal to an opticalaxis of the projection optical system; providing a holding member havinga mounting area for the substrate and a measurement plane that is placedlower than the mounting area and has a grating, the holding member beingplaced on the base member; providing an exposure station having a firstmeasurement member and a first measurement system, where an exposureprocess of irradiating the substrate with the illumination light via theprojection optical system is performed, the first measurement memberbeing supported by the frame member and having a part placed under theprojection optical system, and the first measurement system measuringpositional information of the holding member by irradiating a firstmeasurement beam to the measurement plane from below via a first headsection that is provided at the first measurement member to be placedbetween the measurement plane and a surface of the base member;providing a measurement station having a detection system, a secondmeasurement member and a second measurement system, where a measurementprocess of the substrate by the detection system is performed, thedetection system being supported by the frame member away from theprojection optical system, the second measurement member being supportedby the frame member and having a part placed under the detection system,and the second measurement system measuring positional information ofthe holding member by irradiating a second measurement beam to themeasurement plane from below via a second head section that is providedat the second measurement member to be placed between the measurementplane and a surface of the base member; providing a third measurementsystem placed between the projection optical system and the detectionsystem, that measures positional information of the holding memberduring a movement of the holding member from one of the exposure stationand the measurement station to the other; and providing a controllercoupled to the first and the second measurement systems, the controllercontrolling a movement of the holding member based on the positionalinformation measured by the first measurement system in the exposurestation and also controlling a movement of the holding member based onthe positional information measured by the second measurement system inthe measurement station.